Hardcourt Confidential: Tales from Twenty Years in the Pro Tennis Trenches - Hardcover

Patrick McEnroe; Peter Bodo

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1401323812 ISBN 13: 9781401323813

Publisher: Hyperion, 2010

Synopsis

An entertaining and unfiltered look at professional tennis as only Patrick McEnroe can offer.

Patrick McEnroe has been in the world of professional tennis in one way or another for most of his life. As a player, coach, and ESPN commentator, he's seen it all. The significant tennis books of recent years have all been autobiographies--famous players burnishing their image or attempting to set the record straight within carefully controlled memoirs. No one has been willing to do a book that pulls back the curtain and presents an honest, no-holds-barred look into the ultimate gentleman's sport and the larger-than-life personalities that inhabit it. Patrick McEnroe does just that.

Curious to know which marquee player threw a tantrum and bailed early on a tournament Why Roger Federer, presumably the greatest player of all time, has a losing head-to-head record with Rafael Nadal? Why certain tennis prodigies burned out early? The real role of coaches like Nick Bollettieri? Which player is as much of a diva off the court as on? The greatest match ever played In Hardcourt Confidential, McEnroe uses his twenty-five-plus years in the trenches of the game to tell true tales and wild stories about the players you think you know (from Sampras to Agassi to Roddick to the Williams sisters), how and why the game has changed since he first swung a racket, and what the future holds in store for American tennis. McEnroe takes an unapologetic look at the men, women, and events of the past three decades, right up to the epic Federer vs. Nadal rivalry that dominates the game today. He's got a lot to say and he's not afraid to say it.

About this title

About the Author

Patrick McEnroe is a former world no. 28 singles and no. 3 doubles player, and a former Grand Slam doubles champion and singles semifinalist. He is presently the United States Davis Cup captain (ninth year the longest of any captain in US history), a tennis commentator for ESPN, and head of the United States Tennis Association's player development program. He's married to the actress/singer/songwriter Melissa Errico, with whom he has three daughters; the family lives in New York city.

Peter Bodo has been a senior writer/editor at Tennis magazine for almost 30 years, and he's written numerous books, including four on tennis (in addition to a previous collaboration with Patrick McEnroe, he collaborated with Pete Sampras on the recent New York Times bestseller, A Champion's Mind). He also writes the popular Peter Bodo's TennisWorld weblog, and was a long-time contributor to the New York Times as an Outdoors columnist. He lives with his wife, Lisa, and six-year old son, Luke, in New York City and the upstate town of Andes.

From Booklist

Patrick McEnroe was never the tennis stud his brother, John, was, but he has made a nice career out of the game. As a player, he was a Grand Slam doubles champ, advanced to the singles semis in another Grand Slam, and is currently the U.S. Davis cup captain. He's also ESPN's lead tennis analyst. But can he write? Yes, he can. His inspiration sprang from his storytelling ability over dinner and drinks; people kept urging him to gather his tennis stories and put them in a book. The result is a mischievously entertaining and wholly informative, anecdote-heavy look at the relatively insular world of professional tennis. The PG-rated anecdotes are never malicious and usually chuckle-worthy; the analysis of the game and its global growth owes its acuity to McEnroe's unique vantage point as a former athlete, current administrator, and professional observer. Serious tennis fans will find information and perspective here that will add depth to their knowledge of the sport; casual observers will delight in McEnroe's wry wit and sense of the absurd. --Wes Lukowsky

About this edition

• Publisher: Hyperion
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1401323812
• ISBN 13: 9781401323813
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320