Press Release

Tennis fans get unique perspective on the changing game and its rich history.

Dulles, VA -- April 15, 2002: Award-winning tennis journalist Paul Fein has collected his greatest and most controversial pieces into one volume in TENNIS CONFIDENTIAL: Today's Greatest Players, Matches, and Controversies, just released by Brassey's, Inc. (Hardcover, $26.95, April 2002 - Paperback is to be released in December of this year)

TENNIS CONFIDENTIAL contains probing features about Andre Agassi, Venus and Serena Williams, Gustavo Kuerten, Anna Kournikova, Bjorn Borg, Jennifer Capriati and Rod Laver, as well as powerful interviews with present and past legends Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Arthur Ashe, Ted Tinling and Bobby Riggs. The book also features 20th century retrospectives about teen queens, Open Tennis, tiebreakers, the color barrier, evolving playing styles and the racket revolution.

"Aficionados follow tennis so fervently because it's an individual sport -- doubles notwithstanding -- and its top players are supreme individuals who command our attention," Fein says. "Besides performing spectacularly, they express themselves through compelling, not-so-private lives. Anna's latest beau, Andre's new $23 million mansion where he and Steffi will live, the Williamses' many business, entertainment, and educational pursuits, and all their verbal volleys matter as much as their on-court volleys. The world of professional tennis requires a sharp focus not only on the leading characters but also on the forces that drive them to stardom and occasionally to distraction or even destruction. Tennis is a sport with plenty of conflict, chaos, and controversy."

In addition to dramatic stories of "The Ten Greatest Matches in Tennis History" and full length features on the sport's biggest names, TENNIS CONFIDENTIAL includes in-depth analysis of the sport's most controversial issues, such as the power crisis, flawed ranking systems, and equal prize money. It asks how tennis best solve the power crisis? Do women deserve equal prize money? Should the service let be abolished? What constitutes a legitimate Grand Slam? What about on-court coaching? And how can tennis best replace defective ranking systems that scandalously don't even count all tournament results?

"Tennis has evolved enormously since its Victorian, garden party origins," Fein says. "Multi-million dollar endorsement deals, egos, and international fame all play a big part in the sport.

TENNIS CONFIDENTIAL includes:

Why Pete Sampras turned into a single-minded champion, while archrival Andre Agassi periodically crashed during his roller-coaster career. It turns out that not only is Andre haunted by his famous "Image is everything" commercial, but Sampras is far more interesting and opinionated than his media-created image suggests.

How Venus and Serena Williams escaped from the black ghetto of crime-ridden Compton, California, to shine spectacularly on the sport's most hallowed venues, like the lush lawns at staid Wimbledon.

How Anna Kournikova has become the reigning diva in all sports despite never having won a singles tournament, testifying to the power of sex appeal.

Full-length interviews Pete Sampras, Jimmy Connors, and John McEnroe, as well as with authorities, such as Arthur Ashe and Ted Tinling, and colorful characters, such as Bobby Riggs.

"Covering the court completely is what Paul is about," says Bud Collins, NBC tennis analyst. "Digging into every aspect-the personalities, the politics, the finances, the how it's done, and the times-it's-been-done-superlatively-he has assembled a compelling mosaic of the sport."

In his career, Paul Fein has done major interviews with nearly all the great players, including four with Pete Sampras, and with many leading tennis coaches, administrators and authorities. He has covered Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the Davis and Fed Cups, and various other pro tournaments, as well as Champions Tour, and international junior events, such as the Orange Bowl. Paul has received 16 writing awards during his career, including Tennis Week's "Journalist of the Year-original submission" award for the his Arthur Ashe interview in 1991 and 1st Prize awards in the 1999, 2000 and 2001 United States Tennis Writers Association writing contests.

His diverse tennis background includes being founder/director of the Springfield (Massachusetts) Satellite Tournament, a top-10 singles and top-5 doubles ranked men's open tournament player in New England, a starting varsity tennis player at Cornell University under renowned coach Eddie Moylan, a commentator for Continental Cablevision, president of the Springfield Tennis Club and Springfield Tennis Council, a USPTA teaching pro, NELTA tournament consultant, college tennis referee and NEPTA ranking committee chairperson. Paul lives in Agawam, Massachusetts.

The following is the table of contents from TENNIS CONFIDENTIAL.

Tennis Confidential's
Contents