Conor Niland: Epic Journey from Junior to Pro to Award Winning Author
Welcome to the 100th episode of My Tennis Journey. And what an episode it is!
In many ways, Conor Niland has had the ultimate tennis journey.
He’s taken the unbelievably hard step from promising junior to pro player. He’s played Grand Slam tennis. He’s played Davis Cup tennis. He reached number 129 in the World! Some achievement. Since retiring he’s become a Davis Cup captain.
However, what Conor has become best known for is bringing the whole journey kicking and screaming to life in an absolutely brilliant book called The Racket. A book which became the first tennis book EVER to win the prestigious William Hill Sports Book of the Year. A book that is about the rollercoaster of tennis and the rollercoaster of life.
Whether you are a player, parent, coach or someone interested in what life is really like as a sporting professional, I reckon you’ll find the book a compelling read. And I think this podcast episode will give you a whole load to think about and reflect on. And that is why I’m very happy that the 100th episode of My Tennis Journey features Conor Niland! Enjoy.
READ MORE ABOUT THE RACKET BY CONOR NILAND AND BUY IT NOW
Here’s some cool quotes from the book or from this episode…
‘A professional tennis career is ultimately founded on a horrifying gamble: every successful player compromises their entire childhood to make it, but so does every unsuccessful player too.’ Discussed after 6 mins and 30 seconds of this episode
‘That journey in the car after the match…which can be 20 mins or 3 hours…that’s the stuff that the kid remembers and that can be really difficult experiences’. Discussed after 7 mins and 30 seconds of this episode.
‘Kudos to the tennis parents and just try to take it easy’ Conor after 11 mins and 30 seconds of this episode.
‘He knew enough about sport to know that if he’s looking really pissed off in the corner then that’s going to affect me. He was just there to support and to help.’ Conor on his Dad when he was watching at tournaments after 15 mins and 30 seconds of this episode.
‘French player Sara Cakarevic posted her payslip from a $25,000 Futures event on Instagram and showed that her prize money minus entry fee, a fine and tax totalled a cool 2 Euros and 25 cents.’ from the book and income for pro players further down the ladder discussed in the podcast
‘I turned around slowly and looked up to see a smiling Federer. I had never heard another player announce their entrance to a locker room. It managed to be charming and intimidating all at once. He struck me as more Germanic than he came across in the interviews, his voice and accent more guttural. He had more swagger and appeared less playful behind the scenes.’ Pg 203 of the book. We discuss Roger - and how Conor actually beat him - in the podcast too!
