Thank you to Twelve for the gifted copy.
Title: The Master: The Long Run and Beautiful Game of Roger Federer
Author(s): Christopher Clarey
Release Date: August 24, 2021
Publisher: Twelve
Genre(s): Nonfiction, Biography
Synopsis:

A major biography of the greatest men's tennis player of the modern era.

There have been other biographies of Roger Federer, but never one with this kind of access to the man himself, his support team, and the most prominent figures in the game, including such rivals as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Roddick. In The Master, New York Times correspondent Christopher Clarey sits down with Federer and those closest to him to tell the story of the greatest player in men's tennis.

Roger Federer has often made it look astonishingly easy through the decades: carving backhands, gliding to forehands, leaping for overheads and, in his most gravity-defying act, remaining high on a pedestal in a world of sports rightfully flooded with cynicism. But his path from temperamental, bleach-blond teenager with dubious style sense to one of the greatest, most self-possessed and elegant of competitors has been a long-running act of will, not destiny. He not only had a great gift. He had grit.

Christopher Clarey, one of the top international sportswriters working today, has covered Federer since the beginning of his professional career. He was in Paris on the Suzanne Lenglen Court for Federer's first Grand Slam match and has interviewed him exclusively more than any other journalist since his rise to prominence. Here, Clarey focuses on the pivotal people, places, and moments in Federer's long and rich career: reporting from South Africa, South America, the Middle East, four Grand Slam tournaments, and Federer's native Switzerland. It has been a journey like no other player's, rife with victories and a few crushing defeats, one that has redefined enduring excellence and made Federer a sentimental favorite worldwide.

The Master tells the story of Federer's life and career on both an intimate and grand scale, in a way no one else could possibly do.

My Review:

The Master is an engaging and thrilling biography about one of the best tennis players to ever play the game. Christopher Clarey is both concise and intriguing with his balance of facts/stats and intimate conversations with Roger Federer.

I am a huge tennis fan and one of the most exciting players for me to watch is Roger Federer. This biography allows tennis fans like myself to get to know more about Roger's journey to becoming one of the greats.

Christopher Clarey starts at the beginning with his childhood. I learned that Roger almost pursued another sport, but fate had something else planned for him. The author uses interviews with Roger along with interviews with those closest to him to pen a wonderful and elegant story about mastering a sport and life.

Roger Federer's game is so fascinating because it always seems so effortless and Christopher handles this topic throughout the book. Some people and even players mention how his 'effortless' play could have been taken two ways. If he won, some would say that he is magnificent in his craft while others would claim Roger is lazy if he were to lose. I think this duality is an honest assumption that I too have thought a few times when I first started to follow his career. But the beauty of this book is that it helps you understand that this cool and calm personality of his takes training and hard work.

One of his childhood friends put it perfectly when he said this about Roger;

"He always looks so smooth, so relaxed, but he knows how to suffer, to go through the pain, and not show it. "

Not only do readers get an inside look at Roger's journey and life, but also get to see him as a husband, father, and entrepreneur. He is one of the top athletes and is also one of the highest-paid athletes too. That is not all due to his prize money from tournaments and Grand Slams. He is humble but also strives to be known for his business and philanthropy. He is a motivated person but this book highlights the influence his wife, Mirka has had and continues to have in his life both personally and professionally.

I give The Master 5 stars. It is a perfect read for tennis fans. It is nostalgic and made me excited while I read the book because I remember so many of the moments whether it was the long matches and rivalry with Nadal or his emotional postgame interviews. Roger is a master of tennis and his career and proved that you don't have to look or act a certain way on the court to get the job done. He has found his own recipe for success and longevity and that is astounding. Wonderful writing from one of the great tennis writers/ global sports columnists. He wrote this book just as Federer plays with grace, elegance, and control!

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