Tennis biographies, what are your favorites?

[8F93W5]

Does anyone here read and/or collect tennis player biographies? What are your favorites?
I liked all of Ashe's books, Shriver,s was good, Mandlikova, Nastase, Alan Mills, Tilden, etc. I have about 100.
Were there any you didn't like? I have a Sanchez Vicario book that I didn't like.
Nothing old except a first edition of Match play and the spin of the ball and a 1930's Lacoste book. Nothing pre 30's.

 

[r2473]

Would you make a list of your favorites for us? Top 10? Top 20? Top 50? Top 100? Whatever you would like to do.

 

[8F93W5]

Would you make a list of your favorites for us? Top 10? Top 20? Top 50? Top 100? Whatever you would like to do.

Two (of many) subjects I like from tennis history are the 1973 Wimbledon boycott by the men and also the King Riggs match or anything concerning either King or Riggs.


In no particular order except approximately alphabetical either by author or subject here's a few books I like

Arthur Ashe Portrait In Motion
Arthur Ashe Off The Court
Arthur Ashe Days Of Grace
Boris Becker The Player
The Courts Of Babylon by Peter Bodo
Pat Cash uncovered
My Life With The Pro's Bud Collins
Hard Courts John Feinstein
A Handfull of Summers Goredon Forbes
Zina Garison My Life In Women's Tennis
Jack Kramer The Game
Billie Jean with Kim Chapman
Billie Jean with Frank Deford (yes two books with the same title)
Alan Mills Lifting The Covers
Ilie Nastase "Mr Nastase"
The Last Sure Thing (about Bobby Riggs) by Tom Lecompte
A Necessary Spectacle by Selena Roberts on the King Riggs match
Pam Shriver Passing Shots
Big Bill Tilden by Frank Deford
Ted Tinling Love And Faults

 

[accidental]

thanks for that list, was not aware of many of those. I just started reading rod lavers 'education of a tennis player'. Its pretty good so far

 

[ProgressoR]

I have read sampras, and agassi's bio's I prefer agassi's Open, it gives much more insight to the person and people around him as well as a heavy focus on the actual tennis. I am reading mcenro vs borg and its pretty dull. I think I have given up.

 

[Tennis sensation]

I have read Serious by McEnroe and I liked it.

 

[8F93W5]

I have read sampras, and agassi's bio's I prefer agassi's Open, it gives much more insight to the person and people around him as well as a heavy focus on the actual tennis. I am reading mcenro vs borg and its pretty dull. I think I have given up.

I have both of those and enjoyed them a lot. I agree, I think Andre's book was a little better. I should have put it on my list along with Martina (N) too. Don't think I'd even try McEnroe vs Borg. Hadn't heard of it. Is it about the Wimbledon match, or their rivalry from beginning to present?

One great book of a player vs a player is
Levels of The Game by John McPhee. It was about the singles semi final with Ashe vs Graebner and the 1968 US Open. IT keeps going back and forth on the players background, personal lives and then into the match what was happening in the match in the players minds and on the court.

 

[8F93W5]

I have read Serious by McEnroe and I liked it.

I like all the McEnroe books I know of, but maybe that's because I was such a huge fan at one point. Not so much now. Still like him but, but not like 20+ years ago.

Other McEnroe book I've read are

A Rage For Perfection: Evans
Taming the talent: Evans
The man with the rage to win: Tania Cross
Rebel without applause: Ian Adams
On being John McEnroe: Tim Adams
Bad News for McEnroe: Bill Scanlon

There is a book that lists every tennis book ever printed:
Tennis Bibliography 1874-2000 Phelps/Sabine

Not a fan of instruction books. Maybe that's why I'm not a good player?

 

[Touch of Grey]

Andre's book was great.

 

[r2473]

thanks 8F93W5. Sounds like you are quite a student of tennis history / tennis biographies. I'll be checking some of these out.

 

[atatu]

Handful of Summers by Forbes and the follow up book were great.

 

[Fandango]

I think Nick Bolletieri's book, My Aces, My Faults was a good read.

It showed his training regiments with Anna Kournikova, Tommy Haas, Mary Pierce, etc.

Documented the bolletieri academy rivalries between Andre and Monica Seles.


He also included a log of the training that he incoporated with Tommy Haas, Toma Hogstedt etc.


Including commentary on basketball games with Boris Becker and the inner politics of tennis.

 

[8F93W5]

Handful of Summers by Forbes and the follow up book were great.

I liked the follow up book too. I think it's called "Too soon to panic"

 

[mctennis]

Agassi's book ( and audio version) would have been a lot better if he wouldn't have used the "F" word so much. Too many young kids looked up to him and that wasn't really necessary to put in the book. He could have gotten the same message across without that. How can you let your kids listen to the audio version in the car with you as you drive them to tennis practice. Not cool Andre.
You use to be a rebel now you're a father. Would you like your two children to listen to that when they are 5 and 6 years old? I'll say "no" for you there.
How about if someone said the "F" would in front of them.? You'd not mind that? I'd say you'd say "yes" here.

 

[jswinf]

There was an earlier Rod Laver book, "How To Play Championship Tennis," with some ghost--Jack Pollard? It was after his first grand slam and was as much an autobiography as anything, and was pretty good.

"Ken Rosewall--Twenty Years At the Top"--as much as I like and respect Ken Rosewall, I didn't much like this book. The author, Peter Rowley (I got the impression Rosewall didn't want to get into the 'autobiography as told to...' thing) just seems too whiny. He goes on and on (and on) about how Rosewall didn't get the respect he deserved. I think that's probably true, but Rowley beats it to death.

I agree that OP has impressive background in tennis books and appreciate his list.

 

[max]

Around 1915 or so, out came Tony Wilding's autobiography. Wilding had just died in the war.

A New Zealander, Wilding won Wimbledon. The book's very evocative of old New Zealand and old intercontinental tennis.