My Aces, My Faults [Paperback]

Nick Bollettieri (Author), Dick Schaap (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1997

A no-holds-barred look at the tennis world as told by one of the game's most controversial and outrageous coaches. Perceived both as a genius and as a tyrant who puts tennis before everything, Nick Bollettieri delivers an unflinching account of his decades in the game--including his tempestuous relationships with Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, Boris Becker, and Jim Courier. photo insert.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Bollettieri Tennis and Sports Academy in Bradenton, Fla., has produced world-class tennis players Andre Agassi, Monica Seles and Mary Pierce and, in the case of Boris Becker, revitalized the career of a former star. In this captivatingly gossipy autobiography written with Schaap (Instant Replay), Bollettieri tells how he became the world's best tennis coach (his assessment) and how he winged it as an expert until he actually became one. He reveals details of his dealings with the difficult adolescence of Agassi, the grasping family of Seles and the unpleasant father of Pierce. And Bollettieri does not attempt to gloss over his own failings, conceding that he may have pushed some very young players too hard too fast and that he should not have broken off his relationship with Agassi. A revealing book.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Bollettieri is arguably the best tennis coach in the world--and certainly the most controversial. He has guided the careers of many of the sport's best: Agassi, Becker, and Courier, among others. Coauthored by Schaap, one of sports journalism's most respected craftsmen, this few-holds-barred autobiography tells the story of a young man who made tennis his career because he thought it could make him rich. It did, eventually. The key to his success has been the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, a combination summer camp, boarding school, and boot camp in which talented young players prosper against the best competition. In recent years, Bollettieri has guided many of tennis' premier players, though his tenure with each of them has been short. He seems to be the tennis equivalent of baseball's late great Billy Martin--able to take off-course individuals and turn them into winners--but, like Martin, his act wears thin. Bollettieri peppers his tale with notes, quotes, and comments from both admirers and detractors; offers wonderful insights into many of tennis' top names; and often makes himself the butt of his own jokes. He's not the tennis devil as many contend nor is he an angel. Instead, he's one of those rare individuals who has managed to live life on his own terms, and with tennis continuing to grow in popularity, there are sure to be many fans eager to read about how he's done it. Wes Lukowsky --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 346 pages
• Publisher: Avon Books (P) (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380787237
• ISBN-13: 978-0380787234
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,088,255 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Bollettieri Serves..., October 13, 2005

By 

Notnadia (Currently upstairs.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Aces, My Faults (Paperback)

Works better as a gosippy tell-all on the early lives of the players his brutal boot camp helped make famous than it does as anything else. At times Bolletteri's ego speaks a little too loudly and the pace of the book bogs down because of things like the printing of letters he wrote to his one-time students. The man many consider the greatest tennis coach of all time admits here that those who charged he pushed teenagers too far too fast in pursuit of champions, were probably right. He tells some funny stories, like one about Andre Agassi having a collection of empty whiskey bottles in his room, even though no one ever saw the teen drinking and he was monitered almost around the clock as part of the regimented curriculum: a mystery to this day. I used to imagine what it would be like at this famous camp but after reading this book I was so turned off by the military school-like atmosphere described that I'm glad imagining is all I ever did. I guess the jury will always be out on Nick Bollettieri's role in the rise to fame of so many of those who spent time at his Florida center. Some like Mary Pierce credit Bollettieri with making them their best; others downplay their former coach's contribution. This is Nick Bollettieri's chance to put in his two-cents worth, and he does...or maybe it's more like a dollar's worth.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nick aces with his book, June 24, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: My Aces, My Faults (Hardcover)

In a very interesting book, Nick Bolliteri reveals what really is going on in the world of professional tennis. In a detailed description, he shows his evolution from an amateur tennis coach to the world's best known tennis guru. With a separate chapter for each of his famous students, Nick answeres a lot of questions about his choices, his aces and his faults. It would be interesting to read a sequel for this book, to find out how the new generation of tennis players influenced Nick's vision of the tennis world

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected, December 11, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: My Aces, My Faults (Paperback)

I had no interested in reading the letters he wrote to all his players.. boring. I wanted to read anecdotes etc from his life.. from his interaction with players etc. All that was missing. Could have been so much better.