The Cruelest Game

Praise for The Cruelest Game

“This book is quite simply a complete knockout. No one ‘gets’ tennis and writes about tennis better than Matthew Futterman. All today’s players are here, intimately here—their battles, heartbreaks, triumphs, the sheer work and near madness that goes into wanting to be the best. Yes, pro tennis is the cruelest game, but, in Matt Futterman’s hands, utterly riveting.”
—Delia Ephron

“Though, inevitably, it will be filed under ‘sports,’ Matt Futterman’s The Cruelest Game is a masterfully-executed work of psychology writing. Born of keen eye and ear, Futterman’s reportage exposes professional tennis for what it is: a bottomlessly diverse, rich cast of exquisite athletes, navigating the torture of hitting a ball with both power and accuracy… fighting opponents and also their own worst instincts… yielding success but also failure, fear, and doubt. Fans of all intensity levels will read this and emerge with a greater understanding and appreciation for the world’s most mentally demanding sport.”
—Jon Wertheim, Sports Illustrated

“The Cruelest Game is a vivid snapshot of a uniquely fascinating moment in tennis history, but perhaps more importantly, it is a timeless rendering of a sport that reveals and erodes an athlete’s soul. Matt Futterman approaches tennis with unmatched curiosity, compassion and humanity. There is no one better qualified or equipped to depict tennis’ heady concoction of brutality and beauty. This book will change how you watch the game, and force you to reckon with the true price of excellence.”
—Catherine Whitaker, co-host of “The Tennis Podcast” (Time Magazine Top 100 Podcasts of All Time)

“It may be the cruelest game, but Matt Futterman uses his insider’s insight of this damn sport to lift the struggles, obstacles, work and doubt into a realm of understanding, empathy, and grace. This is an intimate and fascinating look inside the game and the athletes who give their lives to turn the cruelty into victory.”
—Mary Carillo, NBC tennis sportscaster and former professional player