The Racket by Conor Niland has been chosen at the William Hill Sports Book of the Year for 2024.
The book, written by Niland in collaboration with Gavin Cooney from the 42, follows the Limerick man’s career as a professional tennis player.
The Racket was chosen from a shortlist of six books which also included Kelly Holmes’ Unique and Munichs by David Peace, focusing on Manchester United in the months after the 1958 Munich air disaster.
In claiming the top spot, Niland also earns a £30,000 (€35,848) prize.
Speaking after the win, the 43-year-old said he hopes the book can help young players and parents “understand the reality of tennis”.
“The perception of tennis is that people tune in for the four Grand Slams and see it all to be big cheques and strawberries and cream, but for all the guys lower down the rankings, grinding it out to make it there, it is a lot more difficult.
“I was fortunate enough to be just outside the top 100 so I caught glimpses of the very top, but I also spent a lot of time lower down the rankings which is why I was able to show both sides of the story in this book.
“I was only able to really move on from that when I was writing the book. I used to think about my Wimbledon loss [against Adrian Mannarino in 2011] every day. That happens less and less since writing this book and I’m just over the moon with what this book turned out to be.”
The Racket is the first tennis book to win the award in its 35-year history and is just the third Irish winner. Paul Kimmage won in 1990 for Rough Ride, his classic book on the world of professional cycling, and in 2018 the award went to Belfast boxer Eamonn Magee for his revelatory autobiography written with Paul D Gibson.
Reviewing the book earlier this year, Laura Slattery wrote, “The Racket is not about the elite. It is about the 99 per cent who vie to overcome the harsh realities of mismanaged potential, transactional friendships, thwarted match preparations, bad timing and worse luck”.
She added, “Niland, pushed to stay in the game by his parents, does not overly dwell on the sacrifices he and they made, but the importance of not disappointing them percolates through each page.”
The book, Niland’s debut release, was described as “astonishing” by the judging panel, comprised of chair Alyson Rudd, Clarke Carlisle, Gabby Logan, Heather Rabbatts, Mark Lawson and Michelle Walder.
“This prize seeks to highlight the best in sports writing and there is no doubting the fact that Conor’s work is of the highest calibre, offering a fascinating insight into his career as a tennis professional,” said Rudd.
“The book brings the reader into the world of elite sport, but also emphasises the relatable underdog story of an everyman fighting against the odds to fulfil their dreams.”
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