The Racket

A brilliant, unvarnished look at a brutal sporting life.

Michael Foley, Sunday Times

As elegant and powerful as a Federer backhand … It’s Kitchen Confidential for tennis

Ed Caesar

His funny, sometimes painful, memoir, is a brilliant insider's look at the brutally competitive world of tennis as well as a meditation on moments missed by inches.

Sunday Independent

A crushing reminder of the grist from which sporting greatness emerges

The Economist

A brutally honest assessment of his career and the effort it took to take him to the margins of the world’s elite.

Tom Lyons, The Currency

A visceral, melancholy and often self-lacerating book … History is usually written by the winners, but this intelligent, unvarnished, emotionally draining memoir shows why an also-ran’s perspective can be just as valuable

Andrew Lynch, Business Post

Conor Niland may only have managed a career-high ranking of 129 – only? that is some achievement in itself! – but The Racket, his account of how he managed this, is up there with the best half-dozen books on tennis ever written.

Geoff Dyer

Genuinely such a brilliant book, a brilliant read

Ciarán Murphy, Second Captains

One of the best Irish sports books of the last decade

Kieran Shannon, Irish Examiner

A fascinating, self-deprecating insight into the life of a tennis professional who isn’t one of the prize-grabbing elite

The Telegraph

An entertaining behind-the-scenes glimpse at life on the global tour

Telegraph Best 50 Books of the Year

A stone-cold classic. The story of Conor Niland’s life in professional tennis … recently became the third Irish book ever win the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award. And deservedly so.

Malachy Clerkin, Irish Times

Outstanding

Paul Kimmage, Sunday Independent

Fascinating

The New York Times

A thoughtfully constructed memoir … plenty of self-deprecating humour, poignancy and insight to make this a page-turner

The Times

Brim-full with humour

Irish Examiner

Tremendous

Paul Kimmage, Irish Independent

Niland writes about the loneliness and absurdity of life on tour with an elegance and immediacy that makes readers feel as if they are alongside the battered pro trying so hard to reach a better life for himself.

Donald McRae, The Guardian

A beautiful book, ultimately about how to play the most important game of all – life.

Irish Daily Mail

Fascinating … not just for sports fans

Irish Daily Mail

Outstanding … brutally honest, brilliantly crafted

Cathal Dennehy, Irish Independent

One of the great sports memoirs. Funny, moving, informative - it’s got the lot.

Tony Parsons

A terrific book about what it's like in the outer orbits of pro tennis, written by someone who was there, and took notes

Ed Caesar

Conor Niland may only have managed a career-high ranking of 129 – only? that is some achievement in itself! – but The Racket, his account of how he managed this, is up there with the best half-dozen books on tennis ever written.

Geoff Dyer

Genuinely such a brilliant book, a brilliant read

Ciarán Murphy, Second Captains

I ate this book up ... reveals the sacrifices, commitment and decidedly unglamorous side of life on the tennis circuit

Sinéad Moriarty

Well worth a read if you want the inside track on life on the lower rungs of the tennis circuit. Warts and all.

Judy Murray

Unsparing in his depiction of the drudgery of tennis

Mike Jakeman, The Spectator

One of the best Irish sports books of the last decade

Kieran Shannon, Irish Examiner

Compelling

Tennis365.com

Brilliant book, I inhaled it

Jonathan Drennan, Sydney Morning Herald

This is terrific - devoured it in a day. If you want to understand life on the tennis tour at the level where you're your own manager, agent, coach, travel agent, physio, and trainer, this is the one. I've read many tennis autobiographies: this is one of the very best

Charles Arthur

Thoroughly enjoying this engrossing read; sure to become a must read of the tennis literature canon

Paul Perry

‘Witty and insightful … an homage to the game he clearly still loves’

Anna Carey, Irish Times

Blending a passion for his chosen sport with a realistic study of the traumas of the tour, The Racket offers a brilliant insight from Ireland’s greatest ever tennis player.

John Boyne

This will rightly join the list of The Best Irish Sports Books Ever Written. A superb insight into professional tennis from the ground up

Paul Howard

An honest and droll memoir from the top-ranked Irish male player of the Open Era to have spent his career "reliant on Tennis Ireland"

Laura Slattery, Irish Times

A really wonderful read ... Conor Niland has delivered an all-timer for tennis and sports journalism

Ashlee Vance

The Racket is as elegant and powerful as a Federer backhand – a rich, mordant, affecting portrait of the occasional triumphs and frequent indignities of the low-ranked professional tennis player. I really loved it. It’s Kitchen Confidential for tennis.

Ed Caesar