Every January, I take some time to sketch out a tentative reading map for the year ahead. It is a small ritual that helps me think intentionally about how books might fit alongside the tennis calendar, older titles I have been meaning to revisit, and new releases that are scheduled to arrive over the next twelve months. The result is never a rigid plan, but it provides a useful starting point.
One principle I encounter often in my professional life is that no plan survives first contact with reality. The lesson is not that planning is pointless, but that it must be done with humility. Publishing schedules shift. Surprise releases appear. Life intervenes. Time evaporates. Any reading plan that does not account for those realities is destined to fail. Flexibility is not a concession, but a requirement.
Despite paying closer attention to the tennis publishing world each year, I still miss things. Interesting books surface without warning. Release dates slide. Occasionally, a title I expected to read immediately ends up waiting patiently on the shelf while something unexpected jumps the queue. That unpredictability has become part of the enjoyment rather than a source of frustration.
Even so, I find genuine pleasure in mapping out a yearlong arc of tennis reading. The anticipation, the sequencing, and the mental connections between past, present, and future stories are often as rewarding as the reading itself. What follows is a look at the tennis books slated for publication in 2026 (and one that finally came skidding in at the end of 2025) that I am most excited about right now, with the understanding that this list is aspirational, incomplete, and very likely to change.
Serving First by Joel Drucker is an upcoming memoir that frames Charlie Pasarell’s life in tennis through the lens of character and service rather than wins and rankings. It draws on Pasarell’s journey from Puerto Rico to Wimbledon, his relationships with figures such as Arthur Ashe and Pancho González, and his lasting off-court legacy, including co-founding the ATP and building Indian Wells. This book promises a reflective, values-driven look at what it means to serve the sport over a lifetime.
Expected May 18. 2026.
The Cruelest Game: Chasing Greatness in Professional Tennis
The Cruelest Game, by Matthew Futterman, is a forward-looking deep dive into the unforgiving realities of modern professional tennis. Drawing on exceptional access to today’s stars and emerging contenders, Futterman explores what it actually takes to survive in a sport where the margins are brutal, the pressure is constant, and the gap between No. 1 and everyone else is far wider than it appears. As legends like Serena, Nadal, and Djokovic exit the stage, The Cruelest Game promises an unvarnished look at the physical, mental, and economic costs of chasing relevance and longevity in an era where winning is everything and falling short can be existential.
Expected August 4, 2026.
Slam: Break Points, Breakdowns, and Rallying Back
A candid, inward-looking memoir by Bethanie Mattek-Sands that confronts the hidden costs of life at the top of professional tennis. Framed around her late-career comeback and pursuit of a tenth Grand Slam title, the book explores injury, identity, marriage, and mental health with the same fearlessness that defined her on court. Rather than a victory lap, Slam promises a raw account of resilience and reinvention, redefining what it means to win when success no longer guarantees stability or peace.
Expected September 1, 2026.
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