Monica Seles
“Getting a Grip: On My Body, My Mind, My Self”
“Somebody once told me that tennis is your husband, your boyfriend, your fiancé, and your best friend all rolled into one. It takes up every second of your time, every ounce of your energy, and every thought in your head. It had also been my adolescence, my education, my entry into adulthood, and my ticket to see the world.”
I start off with this quote from Monica Seles’ autobiography because it set the tone of the book in an exciting way. It is an extremely personal quote which is always important for an effective biography. Even though some of you might not be as familiar with the ups and downs of Seles’ career, she gives unbelievably candid insight into her life on and off the court. I am pretty sure, this book also helped her process the infamous stabbing incident that occurred on the court against Steffi Graf at a tournament in Germany. She talks about the incident in a way most people wouldn’t. In my eyes her vulnerability, went a long way to humanize a tennis star. You certainly have to tip your hat to her.
Conclusion: Must Read (A)
Rafael Nadal
“Rafa: My Story”
Regardless of the fact that Rafa is, in my opinion, the God of tennis (Sorry to all you Federer Fans out there), his biography was kept up at night until it was finished. I just couldn’t stop reading. Why? Nadal is an innately private person who never reveals much about his life off the court, but he reveals more about himself in those couple hundred of pages than in any of his previous public interviews combined.
His family is by far the most important part of his life. You’ll be impressed how deeply involved most of his family is in tennis, especially HIS tennis career. But other than that, he tries to keep his closest ones out of the tennis spotlight, such as his longtime girlfriend. It is apparent that she and all his other family members play a role outside of the tennis business. Also, it’s interesting to learn about his relationship with one of his biggest rivals, but also good friend, Roger Federer. I personally loved to read those parts!
Conclusion: Can’t go without it (A+)
Andre Agassi
“Open: An Autobiography”
Andre Agassi is one of the most unique figures to enter the tennis world, and this book holds true to form. It is the story of an unexpected, tortured, and at times, shocking career that was highly influenced by his personal temptations and pleasures.
Did you know that he actually hates tennis and never really wanted to play in the first place? Agassi’s dad was the driving force behind his tennis career and kept him playing for the most part of his career too. If you haven’t followed Agassi’s life as a pro player, you might also be shocked to read how honestly he recounts particular moments in his life, both good and bad.
Conclusion: Must Read (A)
Serena Williams
“On The Line”
Serena Williams narrates the story of her family, how she got introduced to tennis and her unique situation as the youngest of five daughters. Personally, compared the three aforementioned books it comes across quite tame and overly warm hearted. Give us the juicy details Serena!
Nevertheless, her story is a true Cinderella story considering her father taught himself the game of tennis in order to teach their daughters. Not bad considering they became the world’s best tennis players.
“But my dad saw tennis as a way to open doors for his daughters, probably thinking that the more doors that were open to us the better, so he ordered some instructional books and videos and taught himself the game. His idea was to kind of make it up as he went along. He’d do his homework, borrow what he liked from this or that coach, and find his own way to pass it onto his daughters.”
Conclusion: Optional (B)
