Rod Laver

Overview

A wonderfully nostalgic journey into Laver's path to stardom

Rod Laver's memoir is the inspiring story of how a diminutive, left-handed, red-headed country boy from Rockhampton, Australia became one of sports' greatest champions. Rod was a dominant force in world tennis for almost two decades. In 1962, Rod became the second man to win the Grand Slam—that is, winning the Australian, French, Wimbledon, and US titles in a single calendar year. In 1969, he won it again, becoming the only player ever to win the Grand Slam twice. Away from on-court triumphs, Rod also movingly writes about the life-changing stroke he suffered in 1998, and of his beloved wife of more than 40 years, Mary, who died in 2012 after a long illness. Filled with anecdotes about the great players and great matches, set against the backdrop of a changing tennis world, Rod's book is a warm and insightful account of one of tennis's all-time greats.