This book provides deep insight into tennis before the Open Era through the eyes and mind of one of the many forgotten tennis legends of the sport – Ellsworth Vines. Coming from an early life mired in poverty, this book chronicles one man’s struggles to play the game he loved at the expense of making a good living.
The first part of this book tells the story of Ellsworth’s struggles during the short three year period he decided to play tennis competitively in High School culminating with his becoming the youngest to ever win at Wimbledon. His letters to his future wife detail his tennis matches and extracurricular activities when not on the tennis court. It includes fascinating and little known personal information about hundreds of well-known and lesser known tennis players.
The second part of this book takes place after Ellsworth Vines had won seven Grand Slam major championships including Wimbledon, Australian and U.S. Open. During that stage in his life, he surrendered his eligibility to play and win the major tennis tournaments and joins the newly establish professional tennis tour entertaining paying audiences. For nearly a decade and leading up to World War II, he was considered the top professional tennis player in the world. Through his personal letters, he provides great insight into the major professional tennis players of the world including his head to head matches against tennis legends Bill Tilden, Fred Perry and Don Budge.
The first part of this book tells the story of Ellsworth’s struggles during the short three year period he decided to play tennis competitively in High School culminating with his becoming the youngest to ever win at Wimbledon. His letters to his future wife detail his tennis matches and extracurricular activities when not on the tennis court. It includes fascinating and little known personal information about hundreds of well-known and lesser known tennis players.
The second part of this book takes place after Ellsworth Vines had won seven Grand Slam major championships including Wimbledon, Australian and U.S. Open. During that stage in his life, he surrendered his eligibility to play and win the major tennis tournaments and joins the newly establish professional tennis tour entertaining paying audiences. For nearly a decade and leading up to World War II, he was considered the top professional tennis player in the world. Through his personal letters, he provides great insight into the major professional tennis players of the world including his head to head matches against tennis legends Bill Tilden, Fred Perry and Don Budge.
