Reviews

Former United States Tennis Association president Adams reflects on her career and the lessons she has learned.

Never a superstar but always a solid player, the author began playing tennis as a 6-year-old in Chicago and turned pro in 1987, after two years at Northwestern. She retired as a singles player in 1998 and as a doubles player a couple years later. She went on to coach tennis; in 2003, she became a commentator on the Tennis Channel after asking aloud, “How can you not have a diverse analyst when your No. 1 and 2 players in the world are African American?” In 2015, she became the youngest person, the first former player, and the first African American to head the USTA as well as the first person to serve two two-year terms in the role. Eschewing a straightforward chronological narrative, the author arranges the book by topic. A chapter on her experience playing doubles segues into a discussion on how to collaborate with other people in various business settings, and one on her work with the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program expands to cover the stories of several of the kids who have benefitted from it. Throughout the book, Adams pays tribute to her many mentors and coaches and the “sheroes” who have inspired her, including Billie Jean King and Althea Gibson, as well as her thoughts on star players like Venus and Serena Williams. The author comes across as reserved rather than revealing. While she sprinkles in amusing anecdotes about jokes she and her tennis buddies played on each other and hints at disappointment that she does not have a romantic partner, readers shouldn't expect any shocking revelations. For the majority of the text, Adams focuses on sharing what she has learned along the way.

A modest, likable, and encouraging account of a life in progress.

Adams, former president of the United States Tennis Association, shares in her strong debut the leadership skills she gained as an executive in a business where “I was [often] the only woman, only black woman, or only person of color.”

She sprinkles pearls of wisdom throughout, most of which are condensed into 12 aphorisms—“own the table,” “own your successes”—that begin the book. Tennis fans will especially appreciate the lengthy, behind-the-scenes look at the U.S. Open, an event Adams organized every year during her tenure as president (2015–2018); she discusses handling the complexities of the event (“We put on the Super Bowl every day for fourteen days”) and the dramatic 2018 match between Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams that ended in boos due to a controversial call. She also covers her progression through the organization, from committee leader to chairman, v-p, then president, and her successful attempts to diversify the game by nurturing upcoming talent from underserved communities. Adams especially shines when recalling the unwavering support of family, mentors, and coaches who supported her along the way. This memoir inspires.