Racket
On Tour with Tennis’s Golden Generation – and the other 99%
By Conor Niland | Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
About the book
THE NO. 1 BESTSELLER
WINNER OF THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD
'As elegant and powerful as a Federer backhand ... It’s Kitchen Confidential for tennis.' Ed Caesar
‘Witty and insightful … an homage to the game he clearly still loves’ Irish Times
'A crushing reminder of the grist from which sporting greatness emerges' The Economist
----
When Conor Niland was 16, he was chosen to hit with Serena Williams at Nick Bollettieri's famed tennis academy. Conor, the Irish junior number one, was feeling a bit homesick. Serena, also 16, already owned her own house beside the academy.
Conor Niland knows what it's like when Roger Federer walks into the dressing room ('Ciao, bonjour, hello!'), and he has had the exquisitely terrible experience of facing Novak Djokovic in the world's biggest tennis stadium - while suffering from food poisoning. But he never reached the very top.
The Racket is the story of pro tennis's 99%: the players who roam the globe in hope of climbing the rankings and squeaking into the Grand Slam tournaments. It brings us into a world where a few dozen super-rich players - travelling with coaches and physios - share a stage with lonely touring pros whose earnings barely cover their expenses.
Painting a vivid picture of the social dynamics on tour, the economics of the game, and the shadows cast by gambling and doping, The Racket is a witty and revealing underdog's memoir and a unique look inside a fascinating hidden world.
----
'Well worth a read if you want the inside track on life on the lower rungs of the tennis circuit. Warts and all.' Judy Murray
'Riveting … a no-holds-barred insight into what the vast majority of players go through to pursue their dreams. Niland is a funny and engaging writer whom it is impossible not to root for across the highs and lows of his career.’ The Observer
'Conor Niland may only have managed a career-high ranking of 129 – only? that is some achievement in itself! – but The Racket, his account of how he managed this, is up there with the best half-dozen books on tennis ever written.' Geoff Dyer
'Blending a passion for his chosen sport with a realistic study of the traumas of the tour, The Racket offers a brilliant insight from Ireland’s greatest ever tennis player.’ John Boyne
'A brilliant, unvarnished look at a brutal sporting life.' Michael Foley, Sunday Times
‘One of the best Irish sports books of the last decade’ Kieran Shannon, Irish Examiner
'This will rightly join the list of The Best Irish Sports Books Ever Written. A superb insight into professional tennis from the ground up' Paul Howard
'Devoured it in a day ... I've read m
Editions of Racket
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781844886401
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781844886418
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780241998076
- EBook
- ISBN 9781844886425
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9781405965163
Read an Excerpt
THE NO. 1 BESTSELLER
WINNER OF THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD
'As elegant and powerful as a Federer backhand ... It’s Kitchen Confidential for tennis.' Ed Caesar
‘Witty and insightful … an homage to the game he clearly still loves’ Irish Times
'A crushing reminder of the grist from which sporting greatness emerges' The Economist
----
When Conor Niland was 16, he was chosen to hit with Serena Williams at Nick Bollettieri's famed tennis academy. Conor, the Irish junior number one, was feeling a bit homesick. Serena, also 16, already owned her own house beside the academy.
Conor Niland knows what it's like when Roger Federer walks into the dressing room ('Ciao, bonjour, hello!'), and he has had the exquisitely terrible experience of facing Novak Djokovic in the world's biggest tennis stadium - while suffering from food poisoning. But he never reached the very top.
The Racket is the story of pro tennis's 99%: the players who roam the globe in hope of climbing the rankings and squeaking into the Grand Slam tournaments. It brings us into a world where a few dozen super-rich players - travelling with coaches and physios - share a stage with lonely touring pros whose earnings barely cover their expenses.
Painting a vivid picture of the social dynamics on tour, the economics of the game, and the shadows cast by gambling and doping, The Racket is a witty and revealing underdog's memoir and a unique look inside a fascinating hidden world.
----
'Well worth a read if you want the inside track on life on the lower rungs of the tennis circuit. Warts and all.' Judy Murray
'Riveting … a no-holds-barred insight into what the vast majority of players go through to pursue their dreams. Niland is a funny and engaging writer whom it is impossible not to root for across the highs and lows of his career.’ The Observer
'Conor Niland may only have managed a career-high ranking of 129 – only? that is some achievement in itself! – but The Racket, his account of how he managed this, is up there with the best half-dozen books on tennis ever written.' Geoff Dyer
'Blending a passion for his chosen sport with a realistic study of the traumas of the tour, The Racket offers a brilliant insight from Ireland’s greatest ever tennis player.’ John Boyne
'A brilliant, unvarnished look at a brutal sporting life.' Michael Foley, Sunday Times
‘One of the best Irish sports books of the last decade’ Kieran Shannon, Irish Examiner
'This will rightly join the list of The Best Irish Sports Books Ever Written. A superb insight into professional tennis from the ground up' Paul Howard
'Devoured it in a day ... I've read m
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Racket about?
THE NO. 1 BESTSELLER
WINNER OF THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD
'As elegant and powerful as a Federer backhand ... It’s Kitchen Confidential for tennis.' Ed Caesar
‘Witty and insightful … an homage to the game he clearly still loves’ Irish Times
'A crushing reminder of the grist from which sporting greatness emerges' The Economist
----
When Conor Niland was 16, he was chosen to hit with Serena Williams at Nick Bollettieri's famed tennis academy. Conor, the Irish junior number one, was feeling a bit homesick. Serena, also 16, already owned her own house beside the academy.
Conor Niland knows what it's like when Roger Federer walks into the dressing room ('Ciao, bonjour, hello!'), and he has had the exquisitely terrible experience of facing Novak Djokovic in the world's biggest tennis stadium - while suffering from food poisoning. But he never reached the very top.
The Racket is the story of pro tennis's 99%: the players who roam the globe in hope of climbing the rankings and squeaking into the Grand Slam tournaments. It brings us into a world where a few dozen super-rich players - travelling with coaches and physios - share a stage with lonely touring pros whose earnings barely cover their expenses.
Painting a vivid picture of the social dynamics on tour, the economics of the game, and the shadows cast by gambling and doping, The Racket is a witty and revealing underdog's memoir and a unique look inside a fascinating hidden world.
----
'Well worth a read if you want the inside track on life on the lower rungs of the tennis circuit. Warts and all.' Judy Murray
'Riveting … a no-holds-barred insight into what the vast majority of players go through to pursue their dreams. Niland is a funny and engaging writer whom it is impossible not to root for across the highs and lows of his career.’ The Observer
'Conor Niland may only have managed a career-high ranking of 129 – only? that is some achievement in itself! – but The Racket, his account of how he managed this, is up there with the best half-dozen books on tennis ever written.' Geoff Dyer
'Blending a passion for his chosen sport with a realistic study of the traumas of the tour, The Racket offers a brilliant insight from Ireland’s greatest ever tennis player.’ John Boyne
'A brilliant, unvarnished look at a brutal sporting life.' Michael Foley, Sunday Times
‘One of the best Irish sports books of the last decade’ Kieran Shannon, Irish Examiner
'This will rightly join the list of The Best Irish Sports Books Ever Written. A superb insight into professional tennis from the ground up' Paul Howard
'Devoured it in a day ... I've read m
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Racket?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Biography and non-fiction prose > Biography: general > Biography: sport > Autobiography: sport
Where can I read a sample of Racket?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781844886401
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Racket?
Conor Niland
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Racket is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781844886401) and paperback(ISBN 9781844886418) and paperback(ISBN 9780241998076) and ebook(ISBN 9781844886425) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9781405965163)
Where can I buy Racket online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Racket from below