Matthew Futterman on His New Book, "The Cruelest Game: Chasing Greatness in Professional Tennis"

The Athletic's Senior Tennis Writer Matthew Futterman joins the show to discuss the release of his new book, which takes a look at the true price of pursuing your dreams at the highest level in tennis. Futterman explains the idea for the book came to be, and why tennis is a uniquely beautiful yet torturing game that has led many of the best players to retire well before their skills have distinguished. The journalist expands on several of the central characters and themes in the book, which include the American male tennis hopefuls, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's quest for immortality, Novak Djokovic in the final stages of a legendary career, and the role of tennis parents in the pro game. "The Cruelest Game: Chasing Greatness in Professional Tennis," is available everywhere on August 4. In this episode Futterman takes you behind the scenes of writing this book, and sheds light on how the current ATP and WTA elite are truly wired. Hosted by Mitch Michals. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.