Rod Laver

'From my earliest tennis memories, Rod Laver stood above all others as the greatest champion our sport has known.'

Roger Federer

Rod Laver's autobiography tells the inspiring story of how a diminutive, left-handed, red-headed country boy became one of the greatest ever sporting champions. Rod was a dominant force in world tennis for almost two decades, playing and defeating some of the greatest players of the twentieth century. 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.

His book is a wonderfully nostalgic journey, transporting readers from the early days of growing up in an Australian country town in the 1950s, to breaking into the amateur circuit, to the extraordinary highs of Grand Slam victories. Away from on-court triumphs, Rod also writes movingly 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 tennis world changing from rigid amateurism to the professional game we recognise today, this is a warm, insightful and fascinating account of a great sportsman.