The Gift of Tennis Books
Pulling and discussing a stack of favorite tennis books off my shelves.
I have seen all sorts of holiday gift guides popping up in recent weeks, with most of the tennis ones focused on pricy clothing and accessories.
I also wanted to write something for y’all in this genre, but wanted to do it a bit more focused on the area of tennis where I’ve done the most shopping of my own over the years: books.
Tennis books were the main topic of conversation in yesterday’s Bounces subscriber chat with Changeover author Giri Nathan, which we recorded for posterity for everybody to enjoy here. Giri and I talked about his book (which, of course, makes a great gift), and then also got into a rundown of many of my all-time favorites that I dusted off from my shelves, which I will itemize below.
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Because of the dustiness of the particular tennis collection shelf I was plucking from when scouring before the Bounces chat, most of these books are not especially new. A lot of my favorite recent additions—including, notably, Christopher Clarey’s new Nadal biography that we did a fun feature on back in May—didn’t show up here since they’re on another shelf, arbitrarily.
So this list isn’t everything and isn’t trying to be, but it’s a lot and hopefully it sparks some ideas, either for those on your shopping lists or for yourself.
Without further ado, here are the named selections, in the order they were discussed in the video above:
Levels of the Game by John McPhee
A classic of the category about the 1968 U.S. Open semifinal between Arthur Ashe and Clark Graebner, and a major influence on Giri’s Changeover. (Buy on Bookshop)
Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi
The most acclaimed tennis book of the 21st century, and maybe the tennis book which made the biggest impact on non-tennis audiences. Deserving of the hype. (Buy on Bookshop)
Unstoppable: My Life So Far by Maria Sharapova
Though nowhere close to the commercial success of Agassi’s book, Sharapova used a similar template to write an underrated memoir, which starts particularly strong in her childhood sections in the first third of the book. (Buy on Bookshop)
Passing Shots: Pam Shriver on Tour by Pam Shriver and Frank Deford
A rare year-on-tour written by a mid-career player herself, Pam Shriver’s book is candid and fun, with a bracing honesty about herself and her peers you wouldn’t get anymore. (Buy used on Amazon)
Open Tennis (Magazine) by The Second Serve
Giri and I are both contributors to The Second Serve, and its gorgeous magazine—Open Tennis—makes a great gift. (Buy on The Second Serve)
Daniil Medvedev’s Quotable Hats
OK, one fashion accessory: The Second Serve made a couple very fun hats inspired by the best wordsmith on tour now, Daniil Medvedev.
Tinling: Sixty Years in Tennis by Ted Tinling
Ted Tinling was a dishy sparkplug and also a huge trove of knowledge about a broad cross-section of 20th-century tennis history; this book stretches from Suzanne Lenglen to Chris Evert. (Buy used on Amazon)
Hard Courts by John Feinstein
John Feinstein’s early-1990s tennis tome is daunting but satisfying, and flows quickly once you take the dive inside. Lots of profiles of key figures at a transitional moment. (Buy used on Amazon)
Venus Envy by L. Jon Wertheim
Another year-on-tour book from 2000, this one a popcorny and juicy tale of women’s tennis in a golden age of teen phenoms at the turn of the millennium. Maybe the last great access-driven year-on-tour book. (Buy on Amazon)
Short Circuit by Michael Mewshaw
Michael Mewshaw was a recent Bounces guest as we reviewed Bjorn Borg’s new memoir, and his controversial 1983 investigation into the underbelly of men’s professional tennis remains a standalone pillar of the tennis book landscape. (Buy a used book or an eBook)
Second Serve: The Renée Richards Story by Renée Richards
Ahead of her time (and decades ahead of a molehill being turned into mountain ranges), Renee Richards wrote a memoir about becoming the first (and only) trans player in women’s tennis. (Buy used on Amazon)
We also shouted-out the forthcoming book by Julie Kliegman, Finding Renée Richards, which comes out in August 2026. (Pre-order on Bookshop)
Suzanne by Tom Humberstone
The historical graphic novel Suzanne was highlighted as a great gift idea last year on Bounces, and it remains a great choice this year. (Buy on Bookshop)
All In: An Autobiography by Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King’s book is a tapestry of tennis and 20th-century American history, putting her tennis and her pioneering into a vivid, textured quilt. I listened to this book as an audiobook read by Billie and loved it. (Listen on Spotify Premium)
We Have Come a Long Way: The Story of Women’s Tennis by Billie Jean King and Cynthia Starr
Though shaped like a coffee table book, this 1988 book is a dense and rich history of early women’s tennis like few other books I’ve found. (Buy on Amazon)
This book had an updated version in 2023, Trailblazers, that I have not yet seen, but it’s likely easier to find (it’s also wildly cheaper on Amazon than elsewhere)
A Long Way, Baby: Behind the Scenes in Women’s Pro Tennis by Grace Lichtenstein
A hidden gem, Grace Lichtenstein embedded on tour in the very nascent years of women’s tennis trying to prove itself as a professional sport. (Buy on Amazon)
Able by Dylan Alcott
There’s a lot more to Dylan Alcott’s story than tennis, and his humor comes through vividly throughout in this really funny yet lovely memoir. (Buy on Amazon)
My Life by Li Na
A bonus selection mentioned near the end, Li Na’s autobiography has been translated from Chinese into English, shedding light on a tennis journey far different than the typical Western path. (Buy on Amazon)
A Handful of Summers by Gordon Forbes
Another classic of early tennis, Gordon Forbes’ diaries about playing on the tour (as it was) before the Open Era really do transport the reader back to a time of tennis that feels prehistoric. (Buy used on Amazon)
The Stylish Life: Tennis by Ben Rothenberg
My sleeper hit book that I probably should talk about more! I wrote the text—and also consulted about the images—for a beautiful coffee table book by TeNeues in 2015 as part of their sports series. Since a new round of printing a few years ago, it’s taken a firm foothold as a fixture near the top of the tennis book charts. It’s a very pretty, giftable book. (Buy on Amazon)
And then, of course, a Bounces subscription also makes a nifty gift for any tennis fan!
That’s it from me for this time, but please share any of your missing favorites in the comments below! -Ben
I’ve read most of the books on the list. I consider “A Handful of Summers” to be the best book ever written about tennis. Short Circuit is tremendous as is Hard Courts. And as Megan has said “Terrible Splendor” is one of the great tennis books of all time. I think “Levels of the Game” is overrated.Here are a few others that I’ve liked: Big Bill Tilden by Frank DeFord. Match Play and the Spin of the Ball by Bill Tilden. Arthur Ashe: A Life by Raymond Arsenault. And finally….The Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Galloway. I only mention Inner Game because you could not have grown up in the 60’s and 70’s without being aware of people trying to Zen their way to a useful forehand.
Great piece Ben. Lists are so much fun to debate!
No Terrible Splendor? Also, Essential Tennis is a newish and fantastic instruction book. The most readable.