The Racket
On Tour with Tennis’s Golden Generation – and the other 99%
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The Racket
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Narrated by:
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Conor Niland
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By:
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Conor Niland
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
When Conor Niland was 16, he got the chance to hit with Serena Williams at Nick Bollettieri's famed tennis academy. Conor, the Irish junior number one, was feeling a bit homesick. Serena, also 16, already owned her own house beside the academy.
Conor Niland knows what it's like when Roger Federer walks into the dressing room ('Ciao, bonjour, hello!'), and he has had the exquisitely terrible experience of facing Novak Djokovic in the world's biggest tennis stadium - while suffering from food poisoning. But he never reached the very top.
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.
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What listeners say about The Racket
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 18-11-24
Really enjoyed it
Never played tennis and don’t really watch it but thoroughly enjoyed listening to the story of his years trying to break into to top of the game.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 16-08-24
Absorbing listen
Fascinating insight into the itinerant and lonely
life of a journeyman tennis player. Well written and well read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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- BryanS
- 19-06-24
Brilliant story
Best book about Tennis since Agassi's. Great listen. Gives a real behind the scenes account of the Tennis tour
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 15-10-24
Real, informative and personal
Very enjoyable, well paced, insight into international tennis and a personal journey. Well narrated and heartfelt.
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- Joseph Hennessy
- 27-07-24
Brilliant and honest tennis autobiography
Excellent book from the perspective of a pro that you probably hadn't heard of. Honest and heartfelt. would highly recommend 👌
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- Len Mc Carthy
- 16-06-24
Great story of live on the ATP tour
Excellent book. I would recommend to any sports fan. Interesting to hear of the live of players who struggle, as opposed to the mega stars of the game
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Shaun Daly
- 30-09-24
Great insight into a different world!
An authentic account of what's going on in a tennis player's head on and off court and the hierarchical structure of the professional game.
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- Robert Cherry
- 12-11-24
Fantastic from start to finish
Terrific insight into life on tour, very humbly spoken by Conor. Amazing achievements and fantastic stories. He has done so many great things for Irish tennis and continues to do so. I learnt lots from this book and I would highly recommend it. Well done Conor and all involved. Thanks
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 22-06-24
Amazing story of real life on the tennis tour
Amazing story and talent. Loved the insights into the different pro levels on the tour. Well done, Conor. You did Ireland proud. 👏👏👏
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1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 17-06-24
A window into a side of tennis rarely seen.
A great listen from start to finish. Even the most involved tennis fan would be forgiven for having little insight into the tour at lower levels. Conor delivers this is a very well written, often emotional account of his journey. Highly recommended.
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