21st Century Tennis

How frustrating is it not to be able to consistently replicate a reliable tennis stroke? Over the years, I've had countless discouraged students tell me that, at their age or skill level, it was probably too late to improve their game very much. But after learning modern tennis techniques, I've also seen the smiles on those same faces that come with the realization that, perhaps for the first time in their lives, they are stroking the ball with consistency and purpose. I wrote this book, 21st Century Tennis, because I quickly became disenchanted with the conventional methods of teaching tennis. Things that well-meaning coaches told me to do felt mechanical and unnatural. I could not replicate the effortless strokes that the pros displayed with ease. Fortunately, I have discovered that tennis is much easier to learn and play when you have the same knowledge as elite, world-class players. Read this book and you will learn: - How to stroke the tennis ball consistently with more pace, more depth and less effort. - A foolproof method to make your timing more consistent and your shots stay in the court. - Seven simple adjustments that will transform the way you approach your main shots; why certain things you do don't work and what to do about it. - How to serve effectively without having to kill the ball. - Tips and drills to speed the process of adjusting to stroking the ball with the same mechanics as all of today's top tennis players. Don't believe anyone who tells you that modern tennis techniques are too difficult for the average player. From beginner to tournament player, you can learn to play with ease, efficiency, and natural athleticism, and I will show you how.

This book is the complete guide to one of the greatest tennis players of the 21st century, winner of 22 grand slam men's singles titles, and undisputed King of the tennis court, Spain's raging bull, Rafael Nadal. This fully illustrated biography charts his journey to the top, from his early days being coached by his uncle Toni in Mallorca and dreaming of being a professional footballer, through his early tournament career, turning professional, his first senior ATP win, first grand slam win at Roland Garros, first Wimbledon win and first Olympic gold medal and record breaking 21st Grand Slam win. Written by Dominic Bliss, a veteran tennis journalist who has followed Nadal’s career closely both on and off the court, this biography tracks Rafa’s journey from painfully shy pin-up boy to senior statesman on the ATP Tour who continues to conquer worldwide, most recently claiming his 14th Roland Garros and 22nd Grand Slam title at the French Open in June 2022. Structured around 10 key matches in his long career, it takes readers from his first national junior championship win at age 14 (when he played with the pain of a broken finger on his racquet hand) through to his 21st Grand Slam title in January 2022, where he came back from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev in an epic 5-set match. From his need for water bottles to be arranged 'a certain way' on the court, to his charity work raising $17 million to help the Red Cross’ efforts to support those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, this book examines every angle of Rafa as a human being, a model athlete, a serial winner. This definitive work on one of tennis' all time greats is not to be missed!

The book is in three sections, the first of which comprises a set of essays looking at controversial issues facing those who administer the world game of tennis in the 21st century. Topics covered include on-court coaching, Hawk-Eye, the ATP doubles reforms, and whether the interests of TV run counter to the long-term interests of the sport.

A journey through the history, culture, and mystique of tennis from “an original and provocative mind” (The Wall Street Journal). If you’ve watched Rafael Nadal spin a forehand at 4000 rpm, Maria Sharapova arabesque out of a serve, Serena Williams utterly destroy a short ball, or Roger Federer touch a volley into an impossibly angled winner, you know how exciting tennis can be. This book reveals the long history and unique culture behind the sport. With a penchant for tennis’s inherent drama, historian Elizabeth Wilson finds its core: a psychological face-off between flamboyant personalities navigating the ebbs and flows of fortune in the confines of a 78 x 36–foot box—whether of clay, grass, or DecoTurf. Walking the finely kempt lawns of Victorian England, she shows how tennis’s early role as a social pastime that included both men and women—and thus, lots of sexual tension—set it apart from most other sports and their dominant masculine appeal. Even today, when power and endurance are more important than ever, tennis still demands that the body behave gracefully and with finesse. In this way, Wilson shows, tennis has retained the vibrant spectacle of human drama and beauty that have always made it special, not just to sports fans but to popular culture. Telling the stories of all the greats, from the Renshaw brothers to Novak Djokovic, and of all the advances, from wooden racquets to network television schedules, Wilson offers a tennis book like no other, keeping the court square in our sights as history is illuminated around it. “A sporting history unlike any I’ve read—one that, in its sophistication and thoughtfulness, shows up the hollowness of most other accounts.” —Observer

Learn about the connection between math and tennis.

For all fans of tennis, this lavish edition features all the highlights of the game as it developed from the early traditions of lawn tennis to the wildly popular spectator sport of today, including notorious matches; the advances in technology and physical standards for players; the politics of tennis as impacted by world events.

NOW WITH A NEW CHAPTER This is a special era in the history of tennis. The physicality and skill, as well as the commercial and public interest, have hit levels not seen before. At the heart of the game's growing appeal are four players: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray. Never in the history of the game have so few players dominated for so long and it is their rivalry that makes this the 'Golden Age of Tennis'. However, in 2013, the dominance of the Big Four came under sustained pressure and a new era beckoned. Break Point chronicles how the old guard met the challenge of the hungry young contenders determined to break their stranglehold on the Tour, from the genteel lawns of Wimbledon to the raucous bleachers of Flushing Meadows, and all points in between.

Learn the Inspiring Story of One of Tennis' Greatest Legends, Rafael Nadal! Read on your PC, Mac, smartphone, tablet or Kindle device. This holiday season, if you buy the print edition as a gift, you can keep the Kindle edition for yourself! In Rafael Nadal: The Inspiring Story of One of Tennis' Greatest Legends, you will learn the incredible story of one of tennis' best players, Rafael Nadal. For the last two decades, three men have dominated the game of tennis: Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal. Nadal will likely go down as the greatest clay-court player to ever grace the court. At the time of this writing, Nadal is just 31 years-old, meaning he will likely have a few years of his career left to capture more grand slams. In this unauthorized biography, we'll explore Nadal's journey to becoming one of the all-time greats, and learn what it has taken him to reach where he is today. Here is a preview of what is inside this book: Early Life and Childhood Junior Years and Early Career Teenage Years and Early Pro Career Nadal's First Grand Slam Title, the 2005 French Open Nadal's Rise to Stardom Nadal's All-Time Rivals Nadal's Personal Life Rafael Nadal's Legacy An excerpt from the book: In the early part of the 21st century, Spain has provided the world with two significant contributions to the sports world. One lasted for nearly a decade, and the second continues to amaze as he enters the twilight of his career.The first is the Spanish national soccer team, who revolutionized the way the game is played thanks to their "tiki-taka" style of quick passing in triangles, emphasis on possession, and intelligent runs into space that stretched opposing defenses. A group of stars led by Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos and many others had an unprecedented amount of success as they bracketed a 2010 World Cup title with European Championship crowns in both 2008 and 2012. The aesthetic beauty of the tiki-taka in which players feint and move in rapid succession as the ball is effortlessly caressed around the pitch is a stark contrast to the violent beauty of Spain's other notable sports export, tennis star Rafael Nadal. A naturally talented yet self-made player, Nadal has turned one of the hardest-hit two-handed shots in the game into a cottage industry of success. His 15 Grand Slam titles are second all-time to arguably the greatest player in the sport's history and his generational peer Roger Federer. His unrivaled dominance of the clay-court surface, highlighted by his record 10 French Open titles, did not just harken the names of Bjorn Borg and Mats Wilander to tennis historians. They also fall in line without debate behind the man known as "Rafa," a spitfire of energy who punctuates his key points with a fist pump and a cry of "Vamos!" In a period when men's tennis was blessed with three of its greatest players, here is the story of the man who not only challenged greatness but became great himself in the process. This is the story of Rafael Nadal Parera. Tags: rafael nadal, nadal biography, roger federer, andy murray, novak djokovic, rafael nadal, stan wawrinka, serena williams, wimbledon, australian open, tennis greats, tennis legends, tennis books, tennis biographies, pete sampras, john mcenroe