Conor Niland's tennis memoir The Racket takes William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2024

Former Irish tennis professional Conor Niland has been named winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2024 for his memoir The Racket: On Tour with Tennis’s Golden Generation. The result was announced in central London on 19 November.

The book is the first tennis title to win the prize, which William Hill describes as the world’s longest-running and most valuable literary award for sports writing, having launched in 1989. Niland is also the first author from the Republic of Ireland to take the honour since Paul Kimmage’s Rough Ride in 1990.

Career memoir explores tour’s harsher realities

The Racket recounts Niland’s time on the ATP Tour, focusing on the financial and competitive struggles faced by lower-ranked players, alongside accounts of match-fixing and doping risks within the sport. The book also includes lighter anecdotes from his seven years competing professionally.

Niland’s debut work was selected from a shortlist of six titles, which also featured contributions from double Olympic champion Kelly Holmes, Afghanistan women’s football captain Khalida Popal, author David Peace, swimmer Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell, and a posthumous memoir from Olympic medallist Harry Edward, edited by Neil Duncanson.

Judging panel and prize

A six-person judging panel, chaired by Alyson Rudd and including Clarke Carlisle, Gabby Logan, Dame Heather Rabbatts, Mark Lawson and Michelle Walder, selected the winning title. Rudd said the book offered a strong insight into professional tennis and highlighted an underdog narrative that would resonate beyond the sport itself.

Along with the trophy, Niland receives a £30,000 prize. Speaking after the win, the 43-year-old author said he felt humbled given the strength of the shortlist, adding that the book aimed to show a side of professional tennis often overlooked, particularly the experiences of players outside the game’s top ranks.

The award was announced by William Hill, with details of the prize available via its news site.