The Five Books Every Tennis Player Should Own: Performance Edition

The September newsletter from the NWTO included a member poll asking its members to name their favorite tennis book. Since I write about tennis books almost every week on this site, it was a question I felt compelled to answer. (Unlike the recent “What is your go-to drink when competing?” question, where my response was the thoroughly unremarkable “water.”) But books? That’s a nuanced area that immediately sent me down the rabbit trail of overthinking, which is the hallmark of this site.

For one thing, prompting me to name my favorite tennis book is a bit like asking me to pick my favorite child. Additionally, my answer would vary depending on the category. I’d give you one list for tennis history, another for novels, and yet another for memoirs. Given the context of NWTO, which is high-performance senior tennis players, I decided to approach the question from the perspective of performance, at least for this week.

Even then, I couldn’t reduce it to a single title. Business media executives and thought leaders always seem to answer the “recommended book” question with lists of five, so that’s how I am approaching this exercise.

The first two entries are on the list by default, as I would assume that Inner Tennis by Timothy Gallwey and Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert will top the list in this category for anyone who has ever read those titles. They are two of the most popular books on developing a winning mindset, and for very good reason. In many cases, the mental game is more decisive than stroke mechanics or even tactical choices, and these two stand far above all others in terms of the number of players who claim to have experienced significant impacts from applying the knowledge from these two books.

Along similar lines, I have derived tremendous benefit from Bob Litwin’s Live the Best Story of Your Life. This one transcends tennis and stretches into broader life applications, which I have found to be also important in achieving peak performance on the court.

Obviously, the nature of my defined category dictates the inclusion of a physical training book. The one in my collection that I find myself reaching for most often is Fit to Play Tennis by Carl Petersen and Nina Nittinger. It’s a comprehensive resource on off-court training, injury prevention, and longevity in the sport. I should note that this was the most challenging title for me to select, as there are several strong contenders. If you ask me again next year, my answer may change.

For the fifth slot, I selected Billie Jean King’s Pressure Is a Privilege. That phrase is emblazoned on the wall in the passageway where players enter Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open, and for good reason. The book is part mindset, part history, and part philosophy of giving back to the sport. Its themes resonate across generations and are particularly inspiring for women in tennis.

The Inner Game of Tennis (<- Sponsored Link)

Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis–Lessons from a Master (<- Sponsored Link)

Live the Best Story of Your Life: A World Champion’s Guide to Lasting Change (<-Sponsored Link)

Fit to Play Tennis: High Performance Training Tips (<- Sponsored Link)

Pressure is a Privilege: Lessons I’ve Learned from Life and the Battle of the Sexes (<-Sponsored Link)

Initially, I envisioned this list as a resource for adult competitive players. But looking back, I realize these five books are equally valuable for juniors as well. They provide a strong foundation for future tennis endeavors, while also offering lessons that extend well beyond the boundaries of the court.

So that’s my take on the “favorite tennis book” question: expanded, overthought, and narrowed into a five-book framework. Now I’ll turn the questions back onto you. What are your favorite tennis books on performance, and what other categories of tennis books do you particularly enjoy?

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