Tennis Biography

Widely regarded as one of the greatest ever sportspeople, Roger Federer is a global phenomenon. From his humble beginnings as a temperamental teenager to becoming symbol of enduring greatness, The Master is the definitive biography of a global icon who is both beloved and yet intensely private. But his path from temperamental bleach-blond teenager with dubious style sense to one of the greatest, most self-possessed and elegant of competitors has been a long-running act of will, not destiny. He not only had a great gift. He had grit.

What happens when you find you have exceptional children? Do you panic? Put your head in the sand? Or risk everything and jump in headfirst? As mother to tennis champions Jamie and Andy Murray, Scottish national coach, coach of the Fed Cup and general all-round can-do woman of wonder, Judy Murray is the ultimate role model for believing in yourself and reaching out to ambition. As a parent, coach and leader, she is an inspiration who has revolutionised British tennis.

Zum Wunderkind erkoren, zum Tennis getrieben, wurde aus Andre Agassi der rebellische Superstar auf dem Centre Court, eine Pop-Ikone der Achtziger...

In 1930, at the age of twenty-seven, Liesl Herbst was the Austrian National Tennis Champion, a celebrity in Vienna. Liesl, her husband David and their daughter Dorli came to Britain after escaping the Nazis. In London, though initially stripped of their Austrian passports and rendered stateless aliens, both Liesl and her daughter Dorli competed at Wimbledon. They remain the only mother and daughter ever to have played doubles together at Wimbledon.

I’m only in my mid-20s, and some might think that’s young to write a memoir. Who does that, right? But for me and my team it’s always been important to reflect on every part of the journey, especially the end. In that context, the timing is perfect to share my story, from the first time I picked up a racket as a five-year-old girl in Ipswich, to the night I packed up my tennis bag at Melbourne Park after winning the 2022 Australian Open.

When Billie Jean King trounced Bobby Riggs in tennis's Battle of the Sexes in 1973, she placed sports squarely at the center of a national debate about gender equity. In this winning combination of biography and history, Susan Ware argues that King's challenge to sexism, the supportive climate of second-wave feminism, and the legislative clout of Title IX sparked a women's sports revolution in the 1970s that fundamentally reshaped American society.

Living legend and lifelong activist Billie Jean King talks about what it takes to stand up and fight for equality, regardless of the circumstances. Fifty years ago, King and eight other female tennis players, known as the Original Nine, bravely put their careers and reputations on the line to fight for equal pay and equal footing for women’s tennis, with the indispensable help of promoter Gladys Heldman, the founder and publisher of World Tennis magazine, and the groundbreaking sponsorship of Joseph Cullman III, the CEO of the Philip Morris Company.  

In 2021, Emma Raducanu shocked and charmed the tennis world as she raced to the US Open title with a smile on her face. But how did a little-known 18-year-old from Kent become the first ever qualifier to win a Major? Now Mike Dickson, who as tennis correspondent of the Daily Mail was one of the few journalists present in New York to see her lift the trophy, reveals what it took to become Britain's first woman Grand Slam champion since Virginia Wade in 1977. 

Roger Federer is not only one of the greatest tennis players ever to pick up a racket - if not the greatest - but he is one of the global icons of our time. Characterised by a mixture of passion and calmness, a fierce competitor with a regal bearing, he is both an athlete and an ambassador, a street fighter and a statesman. But who is he really? This acclaimed biography, first published in 2006 and now fully updated in its ninth edition, traces Federer's life and career, from his first tentative swings with a racket to legendary status.

Rewind to 1971, and Sue Barker's coach is sending his 15-year-old tennis protégé to a junior championship in France, alone, with a one-way ticket, telling her she'd have to win the money to pay for her return fare. Sue hides in the grounds of the hosting tennis club overnight, to avoid paying for a hotel. The next day, she walks onto court and smashes it. Five years later, and she's Britain's No 1. And now, after four decades on camera encouraging other legends to share their stories, she is telling her own.

An inspiring and intimate self-portrait of the champion of equality that encompasses her brilliant tennis career, unwavering activism and an ongoing commitment to fairness and social justice. In this spirited account, Billie Jean King details her life's journey to find her true self. She recounts her groundbreaking tennis career - six years as the top-ranked woman in the world, 20 Wimbledon championships, 39 grand-slam titles and her watershed defeat of Bobby Riggs in the famous 'Battle of the Sexes'. 

He is one of the most controversial sportsmen in history and a legend of Open Era tennis. But after reaching the top of his game - what came next? A decade after his international number-one best seller Serious, John McEnroe is back and ready to talk. Now the undisputed elder statesman of tennis, McEnroe has won over his critics as a matchless commentator and analyst at Wimbledon and other Grand Slam tournaments - with outspoken views on the modern game and its top players.

No tennis player since Andre Agassi has captivated the world like Rafael Nadal. He's a rarity in today's sporting arena - a true sportsman who chooses to let his raw talent, dedication and humility define him. With a remarkable 16 grand slam victories under his belt, and with friend and rival Roger Federer's record haul of 20 in his sights, Nadal is an extraordinary competitor whose ferocity on court is made even more remarkable by his grace off it. This book takes us to the heart of Nadal's childhood, his growth as a player, and his incredible career.

Unstoppable is the fiercely honest, fearless, darkly funny autobiography of global tennis star Maria Sharapova. In the middle of the night, a father and his daughter step off a Greyhound bus in Florida and head straight to the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. They ring the bell, though no-one is expecting them and they don't speak English. They have arrived from Russia with just 700 dollars and the conviction that this six-year-old girl will be the world's next great tennis star. They are right.

Sam found potential he never thought he had, got better at table tennis than most people thought possible, and discovered what it feels like when 1.5 million people watch you fail. Here is their story, including all the ridiculous training methods and unreachable goals and the surprising lessons they learned from playing table tennis every day for a year.

Découvrez la biographie d'Andre Agassi, l'un des plus grands athlètes de tous les temps et l'un des hommes les plus doués à avoir jamais foulé un court de tennis ! À 18 ans, le "kid de Las Vegas" était le troisième joueur de tennis et à 19 ans, il avait déjà gagné plus de 2 millions de dollars. Andre Agassi est le seul joueur de l'histoire à avoir remporté les sept titres les plus prestigieux du tennis en simple messieurs. Il a atteint la première place mondiale.

There have been other biographies of Roger Federer, but never one with this kind of access to the man himself, his support team, and the most prominent figures in the game, including such rivals as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Roddick. In The Master, New York Times correspondent Christopher Clarey sits down with Federer and those closest to him to tell the story of the greatest player in men's tennis.

Împins de la spate de un tată dominator pentru a deveni un campion la tenis, Andre Agassi și-a asigurat succesul financiar, celebritatea și poziția de lider mondial în tenisul profesionist la o vârstă la care majoritatea abia termină studiile. În spatele acestor realizări stă însă istoria unui om adeseori nefericit și confuz, care niciodată nu s-a simțit confortabil cu realizările sale profesionale.

In Serena Williams: The Inspiring Story of One of Tennis' Greatest Legends, you will learn the inspirational story of one of tennis' premier legends, Serena Williams. Williams is arguably the greatest women's tennis player of all-time. At the time of this writing, she holds the most Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era with 23. Fans from across the world adore Williams and with good reason: she serves as an exemplary role model for how to behave on and off the tennis court. She is not only elite in skill, but also in her sportsmanship. In this unauthorized biography, we'll explore Williams' journey to becoming one of the greatest, and learn what it has taken her to reach where she is today.

Learn about the inspirational story of Novak Djokovic. In Novak Djokovic: A Biography of the Serbian Superstar, you will learn about the life, professional career, and accomplishments of Novak Djokovic. There were two tennis superstars who ruled the sport - and this is the story of the player who pushed them aside to dominate tennis.