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The Racket

On Tour with Tennis’s Golden Generation – and the other 99%

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The Racket

By: Conor Niland
Narrated by: Conor Niland
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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.

©2024 Conor Niland (P)2024 Penguin Audio Sports Tennis Witty

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Eye opening

Eye-opening account of life on the tour, written and read in an insightful and, at times, amusingly self-deprecating style. Highly recommend. Also: I look forward to seeing Ireland v Australia in the Davis Cup sometime in the near future ;)

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Loved his voice and accent and his honesty

The hard work and loneliness of getting started in tennis. Felt very sad for Conor

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