Staff Pick: The Racket by Conor Niland

‘The Racket: on Tour with Tennis’s Golden Generation – and the other 99%’ by Conor Niland is a fascinating memoir of this Irish tennis star's professional tennis career, a career that began with him beating Roger Federer when he was a junior and as a teenager, practising with Serena Williams at Nick Bolletieri’s tennis academy. 

It’s an enjoyable and revealing read, as he travels the world enjoying the highs and suffering the many lows of the sport.  

The pressure and often loneliness of playing in the Futures and Challenger events (tours for players outside the top 100) are revealing, as every win helps players climb the rankings with the hope of qualifying to play in the biggest competitions.

This book won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award in 2024. 

'The Racket' is available to borrow from the libraries as a book, eBook, and eAudiobook.

Book review by Ronan Mac Neice, Librarian, Drumcondra Library.