
The Racket
On Tour with Tennis’s Golden Generation – and the other 99%
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
3 months free
Buy for $20.33
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Conor Niland
-
By:
-
Conor Niland
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
When Conor Niland was 16, he got the chance to hit with Serena Williams at Nick Bollettieri's famed tennis academy. Conor, the Irish junior number one, was feeling a bit homesick. Serena, also 16, already owned her own house beside the academy.
Conor Niland knows what it's like when Roger Federer walks into the dressing room ('Ciao, bonjour, hello!'), and he has had the exquisitely terrible experience of facing Novak Djokovic in the world's biggest tennis stadium - while suffering from food poisoning. But he never reached the very top.
The Racket is the story of pro tennis's 99%: the players who roam the globe in hope of climbing the rankings and squeaking into the Grand Slam tournaments. It brings us into a world where a few dozen super-rich players - travelling with coaches and physios - share a stage with lonely touring pros whose earnings barely cover their expenses. Painting a vivid picture of the social dynamics on tour, the economics of the game, and the shadows cast by gambling and doping, The Racket is a witty and revealing underdog's memoir and a unique look inside a fascinating hidden world.
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Winning Ugly
- Mental Warfare in Tennis - Lessons from a Master
- By: Brad Gilbert, Steve Jamison
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He's been called the best in the world at the mental game of tennis. Brad Gilbert's strokes may not be pretty, but looks aren't everything. He has beaten the tour's biggest names - all by playing his "ugly" game. Now, in Winning Ugly, Gilbert teaches recreational players how to win more often without necessarily even changing their strokes. The key to success, he says, is to become a better thinking player - to recognize, analyze, and capitalize. That means out-thinking opponents before, during, and after a match - forcing him or her to play your game.
-
-
Tried and True
- By Professor Hardcore on 09-12-18
By: Brad Gilbert, and others
-
The Warrior
- Rafael Nadal and His Kingdom of Clay
- By: Christopher Clarey
- Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Warrior, Christopher Clarey, Rafael Nadal's most mind-blowing achievement: 14 French Open titles. Nadal has won big on tennis's many surfaces en route to becoming one of the greatest players of all time: securing two Wimbledon titles on grass and four U.S. Open titles on cushioned acrylic hardcourts.
-
-
Clay history and surface level Nadal
- By Amazon Customer on 06-11-25
-
Champion Mindset
- Coach Yourself to Win at Life
- By: Patrick Mouratoglou
- Narrated by: Patrick Mouratoglou
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Superstar coach Patrick Mouratoglou knows what it takes to win. An international icon in the world of tennis, he coached Serena Williams for a decade at the height of her career. More recently he’s worked with top-seeded players including Coco Gauff, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Simona Halep, and Holger Rune. Now, in Champion Mindset, Mouratoglou distills his lifetime of coaching excellence into ten commandments that are applicable to achieving success in all aspects of life, not just the court.
-
-
Not much here...
- By Ewing Family on 05-27-25
-
The Master
- The Long Run and Beautiful Game of Roger Federer
- By: Christopher Clarey
- Narrated by: Kiff VandenHeuvel
- Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There have been other biographies of Roger Federer, but never one with this kind of access to the man himself, his support team, and the most prominent figures in the game, including such rivals as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Roddick. In The Master, New York Times correspondent Christopher Clarey sits down with Federer and those closest to him to tell the story of the greatest player in men's tennis.
-
-
Roger, voiced by Schwarzenegger
- By S. Armour on 08-27-21
-
Essential Tennis
- Improve Faster, Play Smarter, and Win More Matches
- By: Ian Westermann, Joel Chasnoff - contributor
- Narrated by: Ian Westermann
- Length: 6 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What’s the number one thing stopping you from playing your best tennis? Ian Westermann, founder of the world’s #1 online tennis instruction portal, Essentialtennis.com, will confidently say it’s an obstacle you probably never thought of: The ball. The whole point of tennis is to hit the ball over the net and in, so how can the ball be the thing that’s standing in the way? In fact, this is why the ball is such an impediment: your desire to hit a good shot, with the right mix of power and spin, to a specific spot on the court, prevents you from striking the ball the way you should.
-
-
Book is SO helpful
- By Amazon Customer on 06-19-23
By: Ian Westermann, and others
-
Who Knew
- By: Barry Diller
- Narrated by: Barry Diller
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Writing in his own singular voice, Barry Diller delivers both an astute and entertaining business memoir and a surprisingly frank coming-of-age story. After starting his career in the mailroom of the William Morris Agency, Diller went on to have one of the most extraordinary ascents in show business history, inventing the TV Movie of the Week for ABC at age twenty-seven, becoming CEO of Paramount Pictures at age thirty-two, and launching the Fox TV network at age forty-four.
-
-
What an amazing book!
- By Barbara W. on 06-10-25
By: Barry Diller
-
Winning Ugly
- Mental Warfare in Tennis - Lessons from a Master
- By: Brad Gilbert, Steve Jamison
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He's been called the best in the world at the mental game of tennis. Brad Gilbert's strokes may not be pretty, but looks aren't everything. He has beaten the tour's biggest names - all by playing his "ugly" game. Now, in Winning Ugly, Gilbert teaches recreational players how to win more often without necessarily even changing their strokes. The key to success, he says, is to become a better thinking player - to recognize, analyze, and capitalize. That means out-thinking opponents before, during, and after a match - forcing him or her to play your game.
-
-
Tried and True
- By Professor Hardcore on 09-12-18
By: Brad Gilbert, and others
-
The Warrior
- Rafael Nadal and His Kingdom of Clay
- By: Christopher Clarey
- Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Warrior, Christopher Clarey, Rafael Nadal's most mind-blowing achievement: 14 French Open titles. Nadal has won big on tennis's many surfaces en route to becoming one of the greatest players of all time: securing two Wimbledon titles on grass and four U.S. Open titles on cushioned acrylic hardcourts.
-
-
Clay history and surface level Nadal
- By Amazon Customer on 06-11-25
-
Champion Mindset
- Coach Yourself to Win at Life
- By: Patrick Mouratoglou
- Narrated by: Patrick Mouratoglou
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Superstar coach Patrick Mouratoglou knows what it takes to win. An international icon in the world of tennis, he coached Serena Williams for a decade at the height of her career. More recently he’s worked with top-seeded players including Coco Gauff, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Simona Halep, and Holger Rune. Now, in Champion Mindset, Mouratoglou distills his lifetime of coaching excellence into ten commandments that are applicable to achieving success in all aspects of life, not just the court.
-
-
Not much here...
- By Ewing Family on 05-27-25
-
The Master
- The Long Run and Beautiful Game of Roger Federer
- By: Christopher Clarey
- Narrated by: Kiff VandenHeuvel
- Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There have been other biographies of Roger Federer, but never one with this kind of access to the man himself, his support team, and the most prominent figures in the game, including such rivals as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Roddick. In The Master, New York Times correspondent Christopher Clarey sits down with Federer and those closest to him to tell the story of the greatest player in men's tennis.
-
-
Roger, voiced by Schwarzenegger
- By S. Armour on 08-27-21
-
Essential Tennis
- Improve Faster, Play Smarter, and Win More Matches
- By: Ian Westermann, Joel Chasnoff - contributor
- Narrated by: Ian Westermann
- Length: 6 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What’s the number one thing stopping you from playing your best tennis? Ian Westermann, founder of the world’s #1 online tennis instruction portal, Essentialtennis.com, will confidently say it’s an obstacle you probably never thought of: The ball. The whole point of tennis is to hit the ball over the net and in, so how can the ball be the thing that’s standing in the way? In fact, this is why the ball is such an impediment: your desire to hit a good shot, with the right mix of power and spin, to a specific spot on the court, prevents you from striking the ball the way you should.
-
-
Book is SO helpful
- By Amazon Customer on 06-19-23
By: Ian Westermann, and others
-
Who Knew
- By: Barry Diller
- Narrated by: Barry Diller
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Writing in his own singular voice, Barry Diller delivers both an astute and entertaining business memoir and a surprisingly frank coming-of-age story. After starting his career in the mailroom of the William Morris Agency, Diller went on to have one of the most extraordinary ascents in show business history, inventing the TV Movie of the Week for ABC at age twenty-seven, becoming CEO of Paramount Pictures at age thirty-two, and launching the Fox TV network at age forty-four.
-
-
What an amazing book!
- By Barbara W. on 06-10-25
By: Barry Diller
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Lucky Loser
- Adventures in Tennis and Comedy
- By: Michael Kosta
- Narrated by: Michael Kosta
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Best Tennis and Life book I’ve read in a while
- By George Chanturia on 06-12-25
By: Michael Kosta
-
The Master
- The Long Run and Beautiful Game of Roger Federer
- By: Christopher Clarey
- Narrated by: Kiff VandenHeuvel
- Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There have been other biographies of Roger Federer, but never one with this kind of access to the man himself, his support team, and the most prominent figures in the game, including such rivals as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Roddick. In The Master, New York Times correspondent Christopher Clarey sits down with Federer and those closest to him to tell the story of the greatest player in men's tennis.
-
-
Roger, voiced by Schwarzenegger
- By S. Armour on 08-27-21
-
Zen Tennis
- Playing in the Zone
- By: Bill Scanlon, Dr. Joseph Parent
- Narrated by: Dr. Joseph Parent, Bill Scanlon
- Length: 4 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the best-selling author of Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game and the tennis champion and world record holder of the Golden Set comes the most innovative and powerful book since The Inner Game of Tennis. Combining deep Eastern wisdom and practical tennis expertise, Zen Tennis will help you get out of your own way and into the zone.
-
-
Satatosh
- By PS on 01-22-22
By: Bill Scanlon, and others
-
Open
- An Autobiography
- By: Andre Agassi
- Narrated by: Erik Davies
- Length: 18 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a beautiful, haunting autobiography. Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match and every relationship. Never before has the inner game of tennis and the outer game of fame been so precisely limned. In clear, taut prose, Agassi evokes his loyal brother, his wise coach, his gentle trainer, all the people who help him regain his balance and find love at last with Stefanie Graf.
-
-
Just an Incredible Story!
- By Patrick on 12-13-09
By: Andre Agassi
-
Dark Wire
- The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever
- By: Joseph Cox
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beginning in 2018, a powerful app for secure communications, called Anom, began to take root among drug dealers and other criminals. It had extraordinary safeguards to keep out prying eyes--the power to quickly wipe data, voice-masking technology, and more. It was better than other apps popular among organized crime syndicates, except for one thing: it was secretly run by law enforcement. Over the next few years, the FBI, along with law enforcement partners in Australia and parts of Europe, got a front row seat to the global criminal underworld.
-
-
Amazing story
- By Katie W. on 06-08-24
By: Joseph Cox
-
Essential Tennis
- Improve Faster, Play Smarter, and Win More Matches
- By: Ian Westermann, Joel Chasnoff - contributor
- Narrated by: Ian Westermann
- Length: 6 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What’s the number one thing stopping you from playing your best tennis? Ian Westermann, founder of the world’s #1 online tennis instruction portal, Essentialtennis.com, will confidently say it’s an obstacle you probably never thought of: The ball. The whole point of tennis is to hit the ball over the net and in, so how can the ball be the thing that’s standing in the way? In fact, this is why the ball is such an impediment: your desire to hit a good shot, with the right mix of power and spin, to a specific spot on the court, prevents you from striking the ball the way you should.
-
-
Book is SO helpful
- By Amazon Customer on 06-19-23
By: Ian Westermann, and others
-
Lucky Loser
- Adventures in Tennis and Comedy
- By: Michael Kosta
- Narrated by: Michael Kosta
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Best Tennis and Life book I’ve read in a while
- By George Chanturia on 06-12-25
By: Michael Kosta
-
The Master
- The Long Run and Beautiful Game of Roger Federer
- By: Christopher Clarey
- Narrated by: Kiff VandenHeuvel
- Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There have been other biographies of Roger Federer, but never one with this kind of access to the man himself, his support team, and the most prominent figures in the game, including such rivals as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Roddick. In The Master, New York Times correspondent Christopher Clarey sits down with Federer and those closest to him to tell the story of the greatest player in men's tennis.
-
-
Roger, voiced by Schwarzenegger
- By S. Armour on 08-27-21
-
Zen Tennis
- Playing in the Zone
- By: Bill Scanlon, Dr. Joseph Parent
- Narrated by: Dr. Joseph Parent, Bill Scanlon
- Length: 4 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the best-selling author of Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game and the tennis champion and world record holder of the Golden Set comes the most innovative and powerful book since The Inner Game of Tennis. Combining deep Eastern wisdom and practical tennis expertise, Zen Tennis will help you get out of your own way and into the zone.
-
-
Satatosh
- By PS on 01-22-22
By: Bill Scanlon, and others
-
Open
- An Autobiography
- By: Andre Agassi
- Narrated by: Erik Davies
- Length: 18 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a beautiful, haunting autobiography. Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match and every relationship. Never before has the inner game of tennis and the outer game of fame been so precisely limned. In clear, taut prose, Agassi evokes his loyal brother, his wise coach, his gentle trainer, all the people who help him regain his balance and find love at last with Stefanie Graf.
-
-
Just an Incredible Story!
- By Patrick on 12-13-09
By: Andre Agassi
-
Dark Wire
- The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever
- By: Joseph Cox
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beginning in 2018, a powerful app for secure communications, called Anom, began to take root among drug dealers and other criminals. It had extraordinary safeguards to keep out prying eyes--the power to quickly wipe data, voice-masking technology, and more. It was better than other apps popular among organized crime syndicates, except for one thing: it was secretly run by law enforcement. Over the next few years, the FBI, along with law enforcement partners in Australia and parts of Europe, got a front row seat to the global criminal underworld.
-
-
Amazing story
- By Katie W. on 06-08-24
By: Joseph Cox
-
Essential Tennis
- Improve Faster, Play Smarter, and Win More Matches
- By: Ian Westermann, Joel Chasnoff - contributor
- Narrated by: Ian Westermann
- Length: 6 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What’s the number one thing stopping you from playing your best tennis? Ian Westermann, founder of the world’s #1 online tennis instruction portal, Essentialtennis.com, will confidently say it’s an obstacle you probably never thought of: The ball. The whole point of tennis is to hit the ball over the net and in, so how can the ball be the thing that’s standing in the way? In fact, this is why the ball is such an impediment: your desire to hit a good shot, with the right mix of power and spin, to a specific spot on the court, prevents you from striking the ball the way you should.
-
-
Book is SO helpful
- By Amazon Customer on 06-19-23
By: Ian Westermann, and others
Very honest and interesting
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Well written and insightful
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Fantastic book about life behind the scenes of a tennis pro
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A very hard life
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Hats off to the 99%!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.