SOLD OUT 26th June - Conor Niland, The Racket

Wednesday 26th June, 7.30pm
Backstory, 71 Balham High Road, SW12 9AP

The week before Wimbledon, join us to kick off The Championships in style with Conor Niland, an Irish retired pro tennis player. His fascinating book, The Racket, is all about being on tour with tennis's golden generation "and the other 99%", among whom he counts himself (he was the world's 129th best tennis player at one point).  

About the book:

Conor Niland knows what it's like when Roger Federer walks into the dressing room ('Ciao, bonjour, hello!'), and he has had the exquisitely terrible experience of facing Novak Djokovic in the world's biggest tennis stadium - while suffering from food poisoning. But he never reached the very top. The Racket is the story of pro tennis's 99%: the players who roam the globe in hope of climbing the rankings and squeaking into the Grand Slam tournaments.

It brings us into a world where a few dozen super-rich players - travelling with coaches and physios - share a stage with lonely touring pros whose earnings barely cover their expenses. Painting a vivid picture of the social dynamics on tour, the economics of the game, and the shadows cast by gambling and doping, The Racket is a witty and revealing underdog's memoir and a unique look inside a fascinating hidden world.

Tickets available:

Ticket only - £15

Ticket & book (to collect on the night - £20 RRP) - £25