Customer Reviews

Break Point! The Secret Diary of a Pro Tennis Player

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I read a lot about tennis and found this book to be one of the best I've read. It is not a book for the fan who wants to glean more about how to hit his forehand better or doesn't have a sense of humor. A lot of the material might be deemed questionable in tact, but if you approach it with the mindset that this is a single, 30-ish, pro tennis player who is writing about traveling the world with his racket to make his living, then Spadea's sometimes randy and outrageous voice is appealing. This is not a book by Arthur Ashe or Roger Federer, where image is carefully minded, the writing is unplugged and revealingly honest whether Spadea's talking about other players' games, the despair in seeing his ranking dropping, or losing a German model to James Blake at a player's party.I would recommend it for anyone who is intrigued by the pro tennis life, and wants to hear about it first-hand from a guy who's been out there almost as long as Agassi.

When I first heard of the book "Break Point", I thought it was going to be a "tell-all" story with a revealing, behind-the-scenes commentary on professional tennis (the Jose Conseco book on tennis). While he does have comments about many of the players such as Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi, James Blake, etc., there aren't any great revelations beyond a fan's general perception that can be gleaned from Tennis magazine.

The book is essentially a diary covering Spadea's experiences on the pro tour throughout 2005. It is organized in chronological format starting with Auckland, New Zealand in January and ending in Los Angeles in November. He spices up the stories with commentary about players, tennis groupies, and officials. I enjoyed reading the roughly 270 pages and finished the book over a weekend.

As a regular fan at some of the professional tennis events (ATP Cincinnati, US Open, etc.), I've seen Spadea's name and recognized him as an above average player. After reading the book, the general sense I have is that he is disappointed that he hasn't been better recognized as a professional tennis player.

While he does have a few idiosyncrasies (e.g., he's proficient at creating rap lyrics), I don't think he's as much of a flake as he wants people to believe. In many ways, he's a good Catholic boy that wanted to have greater fan recognition, but he doesn't have the mind set to be the Dennis Rodman of tennis.

He's an honorable guy that's played professional tennis for over twelve years. He's been very competitive throughout that time, but he's obviously disappointed that he's only been champion at one major tournament.

Postscript: After reading the book, it was quite interesting to see Spadea playing a match in Cincinnati ([...])... he conducted himself just as he described in his book.

Aw, Vince, promises promises. He promised to give us an insider's look at the glamorous world of jet setting professional tennis stars as well as an in depth look at what it takes to be a top player. He delivered a double fault. Break Point is more of a running head commentary of a man who comes off as borderline manic-depressive. He wins a few matches, loses more, he's lowerer than a snail, then he's full of hope with feathers that he can turn it all round with preserverence. We as readers get it, we as tennis fan sympathize but in Vince's books are sympathy wears then fast as we encounter the same grousing page after page with little if any real insight. This kind of narration dominates the book though, on a few occasions, Vince takes a look at his fellow players. He gets a little "catty" in regard to James Blake and he disses a few others but doesn't give much in the way of insider information to give us a true tell all (Micheal Mewhaw he's not). Heck, Spadea even admits quite a few times that he is not buddy buddy with any other players and rarely socializes with the other guys. When he does speak about attending a party here or there he makes a point of letting us know he doesn't stay long, and though he protests that he is not judgemental, he comes down rather hard on other players who are not as chaste in the area of romance as he is.

Spadea does talk alot about women in his book. He even gives us a hilarious, though not meant to be, analysis of how to sucessfully woe women. He is, however, a tease. Spadea talks of meeting up with "hot" women and even taking them back to his hotel, but he quickly begs off after a little making out and sends the women back where they come from. He is, in essence, a tease to these women who offer their sexual favors so willingly (at least he protrays them this way.

The book would be a total loss, not worth a single star, except that it does offer the reader a view of a tennis family and Spadea is his most honest and most empathetic in describing his relationship with his father.

It is too bad Vince spends more time on "rapping" and "whining" instead of giving us the human up close details we crave about the professional tennis players we admire from a distance.

I read this book only for its tell-all possibilities - if you're at all familiar with professional tennis, you know how tightly controlled the image of the sport has become; in other words, its ripe for a tell-all. And Spadea, a bitter outsider with access to players at every level, would seem to be in perfect position to deliver. Of course he doesn't, so any fellow gossip-mongers can stop reading here. Among the insights he does offer the reader: that he's painfully aware of being older; that he has a habit of dismissing perfectly reasonable advice; that he equates stubbornness with bravery and delusion with ambition; that at 31 years old, he will occasionally "mess around" with various girls; that he swings from sky highs to career-ditching lows like a metronome; that he intensely dislikes James Blake; that he desperately wants to be famous; that the standards of the publishing world couldn't get any more lax.

There's not much more to be found. If you think you'll be engrossed by 277 pages of this kind of dysfunction and misery, I suspect no review will change your mind, anyway.

I love to watch tennis on TV. I even went to a big tournament in St. Louis which lasted most of the night with John McEnroe finally declared the winner. I hoped to find this book a winner, with perhaps good gossip about the top men players. Instead it was a whiner: why can't I play better tennis and win more games; why can't I score with the girls (a predominant teaser every few pages); and why didn't Coach Patrick McEnroe pick me to play on the Davis Cup Team? I don't seem to get close to any of the players and just like to travel with my dad. No juicy gossip either. Don't waste your money on this book.

Especially tennis players.

Has some interesting stories/dirt on other tour players, but for the most part this book ping pongs back and forth between "I'm really a spoiled brat / No, I'm not / Well, maybe I am." Spadea's intermittent "rap" paragraphs are enough to produce douche chills in even the most ardent Vanilla Ice fans.

As for Vince's tips on how to pick up women.... I guess you can take the boy out of Gavone City, but you can't take the gavone out of the boy. Mamma lucia.

The way Spadea interweaves the story of his playing days with off-court forays into night clubs, airplanes and Starbucks reminds me of Bouton. What does a pro tennis player think about before a match? How does he approach playing against the big stars, Nadal, Blake, Agassi and Coria? Why do tennis players and models always hook up? How does Pete Fischer and Nick Bollettieri, two big coaching icons, tell Spadea how to play? Stories about Agassi, Sampras, Roddick and Blake give insight into these stars that I, as a tennis fan, had never gleaned. The book reads swiftly and makes me want to see how much more of a tennis life Spadea has as he plays into his thirties. You don't have to be a Spadea fan, or even know who he is, to really appreciate and enjoy this book, especially if you're a tennis fan.

Before reading Breakpoint I had no feelings at all towards Vince Spadea except perhaps empathy at his being tagged with the "longest losing streak in a pro tennis players career" label. After reading his book, I detest the man. He's a mediocre player that has a grudge to bear against almost every player who has beaten him on the Pro Tour. He tries to sound authoritative but he comes across sounding "green" with jealousy. His book will certainly not win fans but will negatively influence people.

This is not a good book about tennis. It doesn't give any fresh insight about being a professional tennis player. Basically, Vince Spadea just wants to trash the really great tennis players because he feels they don't give him enough respect. That gets really tedious very fast. Although being ranked 39 in the tennis world is a very good accomplishment, Spadea alienates the reader by his complaints and doesn't put himself in a better light.

Spadea slices and dices in new book

By GREGORY STRONG

USA's Vincent Spadea.

(CP) - Vince Spadea may have just one singles title over his 13-year career on the ATP Tour, but his new book is a real winner.

Break Point: The Secret Diary of a Pro Tennis Player is an interesting and often humourous look at the ups and downs of life on the circuit. Spadea describes his battles on the court, his triumphs and frustrations and how he has survived the sometimes gruelling lifestyle of a touring professional.

But the real gems in the 297-page effort come in his blunt thoughts on everything from his opponents, coaches and problems with the game to his description of behind-the-scenes encounters with fans, women and players.

Spadea touches on his start in the game as a junior and how he came up through the ranks, but most of the book focuses on his rather disappointing 2005 season. He also slices and dices, letting 'er rip early and often.

He describes how motivated he became when fellow American Andre Agassi called him a "journeyman" years ago, adding the best thing that happened to Agassi's game seems to have been his divorce from actress Brooke Shields. He offers his two cents on some of the other top players in the game and isn't afraid to call it how he sees it.

Spadea says Russia's Marat Safin is physically the best player in the world but is not mentally tough enough. As for world No. 1 Roger Federer? Spadea says he might be the heralded one right now, but has a volatile mental game, although he calls his forehand possibly the greatest single shot in tennis.

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal also comes in the firing line. Spadea says the young Spaniard will never achieve what Federer will in the game, because he doesn't have nearly the skills, options and creativity of his Swiss rival.

Spadea also goes back to how he called out captain Patrick McEnroe for his decision to give Mardy Fish the final playing position ahead of him in the 2004 Davis Cup final, where the Americans lost to Spain.

Some might see it as bold talk from someone who's lone singles tournament victory came at a 2004 event in Scottsdale, Ariz. He briefly cracked the top 20 last year but has spent most of this season just trying to stay in the top 100.

As for any feedback, Spadea says it has been minimal.

"It's a book, it's something where the truth was told and everyone knows what the truth really is," Spadea said during an interview in Toronto. "You can't fight that."

Even if there was negative feedback, it doesn't seem like it would bother him.

Spadea sees himself as an outsider anyway, someone who bounces to his own beat. He's a unique character, a confident six-foot, 170-pounder with dark, curly hair, who walks with some swagger. There are third-person references galore - the book starts off with the line 'Welcome to outer Spadea' - he digs nice clothes but is also comfortable kickin' it in a pair of sweats and a jean jacket.

And speaking of kickin' it, Spadea also professes a love for rapping and peppers a few rhymes in throughout the book. If he doesn't go into the music business when he retires, Spadea might be able to go the comedy route. There are laughs to be had on a regular basis.

It's not hard to envision the smile on Spadea's face when he describes one girl he met while at a tournament in Rhode Island as "on a scale from one to 10, she was about a 38 DD."

Years ago on a long flight from Australia to Florida, Spadea came up with a list of rules for guys who don't know how to approach women and get their numbers, and what to say and wear on a first date. He coined it 'The Da Vince Code.'

But don't get the wrong idea.

He may discuss his interaction with actresses, models and former Playmates throughout the book, but adds he's not into one-night stands and has a solid moral character, as well as a love for family, church and God. He's trying to pursue a clean lifestyle and be a good person. He does get out to party on occasion but often passes it up to get his goal of 10 hours sleep each night.

Spadea can be serious too.

His prose comes with vivid description of his intense training and lifelong dedication to the sport he loves. After completing the book, it's hard not to believe he can one day make it to the top. The only problem is he's 32. With so many young stars in the mix, it's tough to make your mark once your mid-30's start approaching.

But Spadea, who has already made over $4.2 million dollars US over his career, feels he's far from done. Reaching No. 1 in the world or winning a Grand Slam title might be out of reach but he's still fighting to get there. His goal now is simply the pursuit of greatness.

"I'm a tennis player first and second, and everything else last," he says.

This much is clear. The man is focused and dedicated to his craft. And he's not about to give up.

Like he says: "Spadea ain't afraid of 'ya."