Ladies Of The Court: Grace & Disgrace on the Women's Tennis Tour [Print] [Hardcover]

Michael Mewshaw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 23, 1993

The author of Short Circuit furnishes a close-up look inside the women's professional tennis circuit, profiling the great players, examining abuses, and discussing lesbianism in women's sports, the effects of big money, and other issues. 25,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Beneath the seductive surface of women's tennis, with its glamour, fame and money, there are less appealing aspects, which Mewshaw ( Short Circuit ) exposes in this revealing study. Following the tradition begun by Tracy Austin and Andrea Jaeger, girls are joining the circuit at an age when their bodies are not fully developed, making them likely candidates for injuries. Many are pushed into pro careers by parents who tyrannize them or, in some cases, beat them. Most are trained by male coaches who in some cases institute sexual relationships with the youngsters, a situation not discouraged by parents who fear that their daughters will become lesbians. Only a few are high school graduates, and the majority of them are exceedingly dull and inarticulate. Thus it should come as no surprise that the most interesting comments in the book are those of Martina Navratilova, who, after the 14-year-old media darling Jennifer Capriati suffered a defeat, observed: "All that hype doesn't win victories."
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

While this is the third major book in as many years to cover the pro tennis circuit, it takes a more narrow view by focusing on the women of the 1991-1992 tennis season. While not as smoothly written as Eliot Berry's Tough Draw ( LJ 8/92) or as biting as John Feinstein's Hard Courts (Villard: Random, 1991), Mewshaw's book does draw some interesting distinctions. Women can begin the pro tour at the age of 14, and they often do not finish high school. They are frequently subject to sexual exploitation by older male coaches or experience extreme pressure from parents who rely on a teenaged daughter as the family's sole financial support. Although the ending fades with the end of the tour year, this look into a rareified world is intriguing. Libraries without Feinstein's and Berry's books should acquire.
- J. Sara Paulk, Concord P.L., N.H.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 327 pages
• Publisher: Crown; 1st edition (March 23, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517587580
• ISBN-13: 978-0517587584
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,058,029 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)