Every January I take the time to sketch out a preliminary reading map for the coming year. It’s a little ritual that helps me consciously think about how books might fit alongside the tennis calendar, older titles I wanted to revisit, and new releases coming out in the next twelve months. The result is never a rigid plan, but does provide a useful starting point.
A principle that I often encounter in my professional life is that no plan survives the first contact with reality. The lesson is not that planning is futile, but that it must be done with humility. Publication schedules are shifting. Surprising releases appear. Life intervenes. Time evaporates. Any reading plan that does not take these realities into account is doomed to failure. Flexibility is not a concession, but a requirement.
Despite paying more attention to the tennis publishing world every year, I still miss things. Interesting books surface without warning. Release dates shift. It sometimes happens that a title I expected to read right away is waiting patiently on the shelf, while something unexpected is queuing up. That unpredictability has become part of the fun rather than a source of frustration.
Still, I genuinely enjoy mapping out a year’s worth of tennis reading. The anticipation, sequencing, and mental connections between stories from the past, present, and future are often as rewarding as the reading itself. What follows is a look at the tennis books scheduled for publication in 2026 (and one that finally arrived in late 2025) that I’m most excited about right now, with the understanding that this list is ambitious, incomplete, and very likely to change.
Charlie Pasarell: Serve First: Dreams realized and lessons learned from family, friends and a life in tennis
Serving First by Joel Drucker is a forthcoming memoir that frames Charlie Pasarell’s life in the tennis world through the lens of character and service, rather than victories and rankings. It is based on Pasarell’s journey from Puerto Rico to Wimbledon, his relationships with figures like Arthur Ashe and Pancho González, and his lasting legacy off the court, 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 for 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 brutal realities of modern professional tennis. Drawing on exceptional access to today’s stars and rising prospects, Futterman explores what it actually takes to survive in a sport where the margins are brutal, the pressure is constant and the gap between the No. 1 and everyone else is much wider than it seems. While legends like Serena, Nadal and Djokovic leave the stage, The cruellest game promises an unvarnished look at the physical, mental and economic costs of chasing relevance and longevity in an age where winning is everything and falling short can be existential.
Expected August 4, 2026.
Slam: Break Points, Breakdowns and Rally Back
A candid, inward-looking memoir from Bethanie Mattek-Sands that confronts the hidden costs of life at the top of professional tennis. Set around her late-career comeback and pursuit of a tenth Grand Slam title, the book explores injuries, identity, marriage and mental health with the same fearlessness that defined her on the court. Instead of a victory lap, Slamming 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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