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Professional tennis sometimes seems to be the ultimate life. Where else could you travel the world, earn gobs of money, get in great shape, and have groupies from the opposite sex chasing you all the time? And you get all your equipment free to boot (which may explain why players smash racquets without remorse). Quite a glamorous life, isn’t it?
Well, it certainly can be but usually isn’t. The pro tour is a chance to see the world but for most players it’s from the back of a bus. For all the million dollar winners at the grand slam events (Australia, French, Wimbledon, U.S. Open) there are literally hundreds of players struggling through the professional tour dreaming of someday hitting the jackpot.
Even for those that have it ``made’’ success doesn’t necessarily bring happiness. Andre Agasse’s recent book, ``Open,’’ is a testament to that fact.
Despite winning all four grand slams, owning a private jet, and marrying a glamorous movie star (Brooke Shields) he was miserable and hated the sport.
Only his public confession seems to have cleansed him of his demons. He is finally happy now that he is retired, married to fellow ex-pro Steffi Graf, and the father of two.
He actually enjoys the game now that the pressure to win is gone.
Unlike Agassi, John McEnroe at least looked miserable when he was winning and whining his way through all his championships in the 1970s and 80s. But his life was even more of a soap opera.
During his heyday McEnroe married actress Tatum O’Neal, had three children with her, and then went through the divorce from hell.
You can find all the titillating details to their dysfunctional relationship in their competing autobiographies. McEnroe came first with ``You Cannot Be Serious.’’ O’Neal answered with ``A Paper Life.’’
That title is apt only because ``My Turn’’ was already taken by Nancy Reagan.
McEnroe comes out looking better only because he didn’t have O’Neal’s drug habit. Today he’s a popular announcer, happily married to singer Patti Smythe, and has six kids.
Unfortunately he still argues with umpires when he plays tennis on the senior circuit.
Although all three of the aforementioned books are entertaining reads, a recently published title is just as fascinating without the titillation. Patrick McEnroe, John’s younger brother, has written ``Hardcourt Confidential,’’ covering his own 20 years in the professional game.
Compared to John, Patrick’s antics seem pretty dull in comparison.
He never berated umpires or cursed his opponents but he never won any major singles titles either. In fact his most famous match was blowing a two set lead to 39-year-old Jimmy Connors at the 1991 U.S. Open, a match that still haunts him to this day. In other words, he was the typical journeyman.
Fortunately this journeyman has a lot of good stories to tell. Patrick provides an understanding of what it’s like to struggle on the tour, stay in cheap abodes, and rush from one venue to another in search of that elusive paycheck. But he has a lot more to add.
He is currently the U.S. Davis Cup captain as well as a commentator for ESPN. The Davis Cup is tennis’s version of soccer’s World Cup but it’s held every year. Every country longs to win it (although a few top players could care less). Both Patrick and John have had a loyalty to Davis Cup that is second to none.
Patrick explains in detail what is involved in Davis Cup and why it is so important to tennis and the world.
As an ESPN commentator he knows all about the players today and provides insights into their personalities and playing abilities. You certainly learn who are the truly likable personalities, and the ones who are just full of themselves. Patrick also discusses the different international venues and what the different court surfaces are like.
From the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon to the unbearable heat of Melbourne he describes all the conditions that tennis players must deal with.
In one sense this book has something over other tennis biographies. Most of them cover the superstars and their globe-trotting paths toward multiple grand-slam titles.
Patrick McEnroe was never a superstar but he probably knows more about the game than any of them. That quality alone puts this book in a league of its own.
Book Notes
Book Notes: Books offer tennis insights
- Book Notes
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Book Notes: Feinstein’s latest is sheer enjoyment
Most people who follow sports have probably heard of John Feinstein. As a nationally known author, sportswriter, pundit and broadcaster, he has brought a unique angle to sports journalism. His groundbreaking book on Bobby Knight’s 1986-87 Indiana University basketball team, “A Season on the Brink,” still resonates today as an all-time classic.
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Book Notes: No Trekkie should miss Shatner’s books
It would be hard to find a television phenomenon as popular as “Star Trek.” Even though it was only on television for three seasons and 79 episodes (1966-69) it attracted viewers and devotees that still follow it passionately 45 years later. The fanatical supportspawned several movies and television spinoffs. Star Trek conventions continue to this day. There has never been anything like it.
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Book Notes: Biography captures the real Stephen Colbert
It would be hard to find a comedian as unique as Stephen Colbert. As the host of “The Colbert Report” on Comedy Central he hasmanaged to leave his mark on the nation’s consciousness in both a serious and humorous sort of way. His unusual wit has allowed him to become American icon. It would be difficult to find another entertainer quite like him.
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Book Notes: Grisham doesn’t disappoint
John Grisham is one of this country’s most popular authors. Every time he publishes a book it’s an instant best-seller. He appeared on the scene about 20 years ago with his tense legal thrillers, “A Time to Kill” and “The Firm,”and hasn’t stopped producing top-notch novels since.
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Book Notes: Ebert biography worth experiencing
Roger Ebert is probably the best known film critic in the country. Back in the 1970s he appeared with fellow Chicago-based critic Gene Siskel in a syndicated television program called Sneak Previews that launched the duo into stardom. Their banter about upcoming movies proved extremely popular and they appeared everywhere from talk showsto conventions.
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Book Notes: A tasty tale through culinary college
Anyone who is familiar with the Hudson Valley knows it is one of the most beautiful areas in the state. Among its most appealing attractions is Hyde Park, home of the Franklin D. Roosevelt home and museum. And even more appetizing than the FDR exhibits is a visit to the Culinary Institute of America, where you can wine and dine on delicacies from the next generation of great chefs.
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Book Notes: ‘The Big Fight’ a worthy read
Boxing has always been a brutal sport but it once had its heyday on the American landscape, right up there with baseball and horse racing. In the 1950s and ‘60s the Friday night fights were a staple on national television. There was one champion in each weight divisionand popular champions such as Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Muhammad Ali became household words.
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Book Notes: Van Dyke autobiography ‘fascinating’
In a way we’re fortunate to have TV Land around to televise classic shows from the past. There are some great ones out there that never lose their appeal. The most obvious example is ILove Lucy” which still seems funny 60 years later. It may be that the best shows are timeless, always entertaining no matter how many years have past.
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Book Notes: The changing sport of tennis
Few sports have experienced as much of a metamorphosis as tennis over the last 40 years. Not only has it grown to become a truly international game, but technology and money have changed the way the game is played and marketed. Where tennis was once a mixture of power and finesse it has now become a game of sheer power.
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Book Notes: Two Oscar-worthy movies to watch
Every once in a while Hollywood manages to make a movie that is so astoundingly bad it makes one wonder if there is any sanity left in the world. I mean, really, when so much money is riding on the success of a motion picture you would think the producers would make sure there is at least a basic quality to it. But sometimes brain-lock takes hold when there is nothing else to explain it.
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