
Lucky Loser
Adventures in Tennis and Comedy
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Narrated by:
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Michael Kosta
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By:
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Michael Kosta
From a host of The Daily Show and stand-up comic, Michael Kosta, comes a wildly funny and insightful memoir about his unlikely journey from professional tennis player (#864 in the world) to professional comedian (there’s no ranking system in comedy but he’s probably . . . top 50?).
Before Michael Kosta was performing stand-up comedy specials and hosting The Daily Show, he was a professional tennis “star,” reaching the lofty heights of the #864 ranked men’s singles player in the world. Stop laughing. That’s better than your world ranking. As a tennis pro, Kosta traveled across the globe, competing in such exotic locales as the Netherlands, Tokyo, and even rural Illinois before deciding to put down his racket and pursue a more stable and predictable career: comedy.
In a completely unexpected and wild journey through the backwaters of professional tennis, Kosta shows the unlikely ways life on the court prepared him for life in front of a microphone. Like comedy, tennis is brutally competitive, and most people lose at it. Unlike comedy, no one in tennis puts a gun on the table as they count out your earnings in twenty-dollar bills at the end of the night.
And then there are the things that have more to do with what happens to you—and what you end up learning—as part of growing up. Topics include: how to properly discard an unwanted European hard-boiled egg, giving CPR to your dead grandpa, cringe-worthy “sex” in the Red Light District, crying so hard in a car that strangers call the cops, and also happy things like what it feels like when your dreams come true.
From misadventures in tennis to the humbling setbacks of comedy, Lucky Loser is a heart-filled story of making your own luck, the universal experience of failure, and the many ways in which we all inevitably lose on the way to success.
©2025 Michael Kosta (P)2025 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...




















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Tennis never failed him
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Loving this!
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I loved in every chapter. Thanks Michael.
Best Tennis and Life book I’ve read in a while
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Two of my favorite things, tennis and comedy. I love this book. I love your family. Thank you for sharing your two… Three loves.
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The glimpse into the sprawling and difficult world of professional tennis was enlightening. It’s a fun ride because Kosta is unflinchingly candid about his flaws and screw ups, and unafraid to boast about the best moments. You come to realize that he worked hard to get this book right, and for me that was the overarching lesson. Hard work pays off. Self assessment and honest introspection is essential to finding one’s path. And an athlete’s awareness about how one can blow a big lead can become a comedian’s secret to maintaining his cool when the gig of a lifetime finally comes along.
Enjoyable, Honest, Funny and Unexpected
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Giggling through the grocery store.
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Honest and Hilarious
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Funny stories, good energy, uplifting book
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Great storyteller
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Good stories could've been funnier
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