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