The Cruelest Game
Chasing Greatness in Professional Tennis
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The Cruelest Game
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About this listen
“Matt Futterman is one of the clearest modern-day journalistic voices in tennis.... A great read for all sports fans.”—Billie Jean King
Nadal and Djokovic . . . Serena, Coco, and Sabalenka . . . Sinner, Alcaraz, and Shelton. . . . The story of modern tennis burns bright with fame, fortune, and glamour—with stakes the likes of
which the game has never seen before. Players must excel under excruciating pressure while the public spotlight blazes on those who win and shuns those who lose. With the likes of Rafa, Roger, Novak, and Serena walking off the court and into retirement, a new crop of aspiring tennis hopefuls faces a shifting landscape as they begin their quest for the secret codes that will allow them to thrive at the top of a brutal game. Offering unique access to the top stars, The Cruelest Game is a riveting account of the price of the fame and glory.
Critic reviews
Praise for The Cruelest Game
“Matt Futterman is one of the clearest modern-day journalistic voices in tennis, and in The Cruelest Game he lifts the curtain on the physical and mental challenges faced by professional athletes today. It’s a great read for all sports fans.”
—Billie Jean King, Sports Icon and Equality Champion
“This book is quite simply a complete knockout. No one 'gets' tennis and writes about tennis better than Matthew Futterman. All today’s players are here, intimately here—their battles, heartbreaks, triumphs, the sheer work and near madness that goes into wanting to be the best. Yes, pro tennis is the cruelest game, but, in Matt Futterman’s hands, utterly riveting.”
—Delia Ephron
“Though, inevitably, it will be filed under 'sports,' Matt Futterman’s The Cruelest Game is a masterfully-executed work of psychology writing. Born of keen eye and ear, Futterman's reportage exposes professional tennis for what it is: a bottomlessly diverse, rich cast of exquisite athletes, navigating the torture of hitting a ball with both power and accuracy… fighting opponents and also their own worst instincts… yielding success but also failure, fear, and doubt. Fans of all intensity levels will read this and emerge with a greater understanding and appreciation for the world’s most mentally demanding sport.”
—Jon Wertheim, Sports Illustrated
“The Cruelest Game is a vivid snapshot of a uniquely fascinating moment in tennis history, but perhaps more importantly, it is a timeless rendering of a sport that reveals and erodes an athlete’s soul. Matt Futterman approaches tennis with unmatched curiosity, compassion and humanity. There is no one better qualified or equipped to depict tennis’ heady concoction of brutality and beauty. This book will change how you watch the game, and force you to reckon with the true price of excellence.”
—Catherine Whitaker, co-host of "The Tennis Podcast" (Time Magazine Top 100 Podcasts of All Time)
“It may be the cruelest game, but Matt Futterman uses his insider’s insight of this damn sport to lift the struggles, obstacles, work and doubt into a realm of understanding, empathy, and grace. This is an intimate and fascinating look inside the game and the athletes who give their lives to turn the cruelty into victory.”
—Mary Carillo, NBC tennis sportscaster and former professional player
“Matt Futterman is one of the clearest modern-day journalistic voices in tennis, and in The Cruelest Game he lifts the curtain on the physical and mental challenges faced by professional athletes today. It’s a great read for all sports fans.”
—Billie Jean King, Sports Icon and Equality Champion
“This book is quite simply a complete knockout. No one 'gets' tennis and writes about tennis better than Matthew Futterman. All today’s players are here, intimately here—their battles, heartbreaks, triumphs, the sheer work and near madness that goes into wanting to be the best. Yes, pro tennis is the cruelest game, but, in Matt Futterman’s hands, utterly riveting.”
—Delia Ephron
“Though, inevitably, it will be filed under 'sports,' Matt Futterman’s The Cruelest Game is a masterfully-executed work of psychology writing. Born of keen eye and ear, Futterman's reportage exposes professional tennis for what it is: a bottomlessly diverse, rich cast of exquisite athletes, navigating the torture of hitting a ball with both power and accuracy… fighting opponents and also their own worst instincts… yielding success but also failure, fear, and doubt. Fans of all intensity levels will read this and emerge with a greater understanding and appreciation for the world’s most mentally demanding sport.”
—Jon Wertheim, Sports Illustrated
“The Cruelest Game is a vivid snapshot of a uniquely fascinating moment in tennis history, but perhaps more importantly, it is a timeless rendering of a sport that reveals and erodes an athlete’s soul. Matt Futterman approaches tennis with unmatched curiosity, compassion and humanity. There is no one better qualified or equipped to depict tennis’ heady concoction of brutality and beauty. This book will change how you watch the game, and force you to reckon with the true price of excellence.”
—Catherine Whitaker, co-host of "The Tennis Podcast" (Time Magazine Top 100 Podcasts of All Time)
“It may be the cruelest game, but Matt Futterman uses his insider’s insight of this damn sport to lift the struggles, obstacles, work and doubt into a realm of understanding, empathy, and grace. This is an intimate and fascinating look inside the game and the athletes who give their lives to turn the cruelty into victory.”
—Mary Carillo, NBC tennis sportscaster and former professional player
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