Tennis, a lonely, psychological sport, has produced some of the most compelling writing in all of athletics. These five tennis books range from the most honest athlete memoir ever written to a literary master's dazzling essays, plus the classic that redefined the mental game. Whether you play or just watch, they will deepen your love of the sport.
Quick picks:
- Best memoir: Open by Andre Agassi. View on Amazon
- Best mental game: The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey. View on Amazon
- Most literary: Levels of the Game by John McPhee. View on Amazon
Memoir and mind
Open by Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi is a former world number one. Andre Agassi's astonishingly honest memoir, widely called the best sports autobiography ever written. Raw, beautiful and unforgettable.
Best for: The best sports memoir.
→ View on AmazonRafa by Rafael Nadal, John Carlin
Rafael Nadal is a tennis champion and a journalist. Rafael Nadal's candid autobiography, co-written with John Carlin, revealing the mind behind the relentless competitor.
Best for: The Nadal memoir.
→ View on AmazonThe Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey
W. Timothy Gallwey is a pioneering performance coach. The classic on the mental side of tennis and of performance itself. Read far beyond the court for its wisdom.
Best for: The mind-game classic.
→ View on AmazonLiterary tennis
Levels of the Game by John McPhee
John McPhee is a legendary literary journalist. John McPhee's classic account of a single tennis match, a miniature masterpiece on character and class. Perfect nonfiction.
Best for: A literary tennis classic.
→ View on AmazonString Theory by David Foster Wallace
David Foster Wallace is a celebrated novelist and essayist. David Foster Wallace's dazzling tennis essays, some of the finest sports writing ever. Brilliant and funny. Literary essays.
Best for: Literary tennis writing.
→ View on AmazonHow we chose these
We looked for the sports books that last: player memoirs with something real to say, credentialed sports scientists and psychologists and the acclaimed journalists and historians who turn a game into a story. A few iconic novels earn a place too and we label them as fiction. We describe and compare these books to help you choose your next read.
