Synopses & Reviews
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.
Review
"In the acknowledgements of his best-selling 2002 memoir You Cannot Be Serious, combustible tennis legend John McEnroe wrote of his younger brother Patrick: 'You're a straight shooter. Just don't write a book now.'
With the publication of Hardcourt Confidential: Tales From Twenty Years in the Pro Tennis Trenches, Patrick McEnroe and co-author Peter Bodo show what brother John was so paranoid about. Though occasionally tiptoeing around his many friends in the clubby world of elite tennis -- a former Grand Slam doubles champ and singles semifinalist, Patrick McEnroe is the U.S. Davis Cup captain, an ESPN commentator and head of the U.S. Tennis Association's player development program -- he sprays locker-room gossip like the reliable serve-and-volley pro that he was. Chuck Thompson, The Oregonian (read the entire Oregonian review)
Synopsis
Professional tennis player, coach, and ESPN commentator McEnroe pulls back the curtain and presents and honest, no-holds-barred look into the ultimate gentlemen's sport and the larger-than-life personalities that inhabit it. An entertaining and unfiltered look at professional tennis as only Patrick McEnroe can offer.
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 the Author
Patrick McEnroe is a former Grand Slam doubles champion and singles semifinalist. He is currently the United States Davis Cup captain, a tennis commentator for ESPN, and head of the United States Tennis Association’s player development program. McEnroe lives with his family in New York City.
Peter Bodo has been a senior writer/editor at Tennis magazine for almost thirty years. He’s written or cowritten numerous books, including Pete Sampras’s New York Times bestseller, A Champion’s Mind. Bodo lives with his family in New York City and upstate New York.