The hidden grind behind professional tennis’s other 99%
Conor Niland takes you inside life on the lower rungs of the tennis tour, where most players chase points just to break even. A sharp, human look at the sport’s economics, hierarchy, and pressures.
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The Racket
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The hidden grind behind professional tennis’s other 99%
Conor Niland takes you inside life on the lower rungs of the tennis tour, where most players chase points just to break even. A sharp, human look at the sport’s economics, hierarchy, and pressures.
- Book Synopsis
-
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.
Ideal for readers who…
- want an insider tennis memoir focused on rankings, travel, and the reality of making a living.
- are curious about the sport’s economics beyond the superstar level and Grand Slam glamour.
- like sports writing that mixes personal experience with behind-the-scenes tour culture.
- are interested in the pressures around gambling and doping in modern professional sport.
- enjoy underdog stories about ambition, setbacks, and the fine margins of elite competition.
- About The Author
- Conor Niland grew up in Limerick, and was Ireland's top-ranked tennis player for much of his youth and all of his adult career. As a youth player he beat Roger Federer - and he still has his coach's notes on the match. His career peaked in 2011, when he reached the main draw of both Wimbledon and the US Open. He lives in Dublin with his wife and two children.
- Product Details
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- ISBN
- 9780241998076
- Format
- Paperback
- Publisher
- Penguin Books, (29 May 2025)
- Number of Pages
- 272
- Weight
- 194 grams
- Language
- English
- Dimensions
- 197 x 129 x 23 mm
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