Culture | What a racket

Whoever wins at Wimbledon, many of tennis’s professionals are losers

A new book chronicles the grim reality of chasing sporting success

Conor Niland in action during his first round match before retiring through injury at the US Open in New York, United States, August 30th 2011
Life’s tough on the outer courtsPhotograph: Reuters/Action Images

The women’s and men’s finals at Wimbledon on July 13th and July 14th, respectively, are the biggest events in tennis. They each feature two of the world’s best players competing for the oldest and most prestigious prize in the sport. But at around the same time, a dozen or so other professional tournaments will take place worldwide in far less glamorous settings, including Iasi, Romania and Tianjin, China.

This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “What a racket”

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