Weber (Mondrian, 2024) is a stellar arts biographer, and he is passionate about tennis. Noting that sport “is one of the greatest pastimes known to humankind,” he looks to art that affirms this, citing paintings and literature inspired by tennis. He also portrays artistic players who have competed on clay and grass courts worldwide. The opening chapter, “Charisma,” sets the baseline for the following 24 chapters that showcase the far-reaching influence of tennis, whether on the creations of legendary fashion designers (René Lacoste, Oleg Cassini), dance (Jeux by Claude Debussy), pioneering motion-photography (Eadweard Muybridge), sculpture (Alexander Calder), or literature (Vladimir Nabokov). Weber also covers such topics as debates over the color of tennis balls and the history of the Fabergé tennis trophy. Just as a slice shot can change the flow of a set, the book concludes with a heartfelt essay in honor of Weber’s dear friend Nick Ohly, who died unexpectedly on the tennis court while they were playing a tiebreaker. Each finely crafted chapter could be a stand-alone essay and all are certain to entertain and educate tennis fans along with readers drawn to sports and art history. A captivating and intellectual breath of fresh air in contrast to conventional sports writing.
The Art of Tennis by Nicholas Fox Weber will be published in the English language by Godine in November 2025.
Nicholas Fox Weber has been the executive director of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation for four decades. He is the author of Mondrian: His Life, His Art, His Quest for the Absolute, iBauhaus, Le Corbusier, Balthus, and Patron Saints, among others. He lives in Connecticut, Paris, and Ireland.