They say that in tennis there is no life beyond the top 100, but the reality of our sport is precisely found there. Conor Niland has captured this in a book where he recounts his tumultuous story as a professional player.
Retired for fourteen seasons, today not many fans will remember the name of Conor Niland (Birmingham, 1981). We are talking about the greatest Irish tennis player in history, someone who reached a ranking high of 129 and who played in the finals of Wimbledon and the US Open as his greatest success – in both, he lost in the first round. Perhaps they won’t find this synopsis too appealing, but the sales of his autobiography (The Racket, 2024) tell a different story. In Spain, the work has been adapted as ‘Contra las cuerdas’, a title that faithfully reflects the feeling that often accompanied the player during that time.
After reading the book and discovering everything that the parallel universe of the Challengers hides – where losing matches is an anecdote compared to the money lost each week – Punto de Break has had access to its protagonist to interview him and reflect on a circuit that seems designed solely for the big spoils to be distributed among the top hundred. And what about the rest? Survivors in a merciless jungle.
How did the idea of writing a book come about? It’s normal to see biographies of people who had a lot of success, did you think the real side of tennis was not being told?
I believe that people assume that professional tennis starts when you are in the top 100, but the reality goes much further than that. That is only where public awareness begins, but there is a complete ecosystem below that level filled with hundreds and thousands of players who dedicate their lives to the sport, but who will never become famous names. That’s why I felt it was a story worth telling, because it represents the experience of most professionals. I also did it to show that success in tennis does not only belong to the guy who wins Wimbledon. It also exists in someone who plays at Wimbledon and then fades away or stays alive.
In some way, was it therapeutic for you to expose all these memories? Did you need it to turn the page and make peace with tennis?
Yes, absolutely. I think that when you are in the middle of your professional career, it is not easy to reflect on these topics. You are always focused on the next tournament, the next points you will try to win, or the points you want to defend. Everything is centered on your next opportunity. So yes, writing the book forced me to remember and review experiences that I might not have fully processed in the past, experiences that I hadn’t even understood. I think it helped me look back on my career with a bit more clarity about the frustrations and successes, thereby gaining a bit of peace. When I say that I thought every day about the match I lost to Mannarino, it’s true; I remembered it every day, which is why I mention it so much in the book. However, since the book was published, I no longer think about it the same way; I have now turned it into something positive.
In your career, you made many decisions that ended up shaping your destiny. If you could go back, would you change any of them?
I have talked a lot about the Bollettieri Academy, those two weeks in Florida […] Staying there would have been a great opportunity, especially to train there and soak up that experience full-time. I could have even studied at the same time, taking advantage of being close to the best players in the world and the whole atmosphere of the place. Without a doubt, it is something that would have helped me a lot, I believe this is the only thing I would change; it would have really made a difference. Overall, I think I made many good decisions, but that might be one I would change if I went back to the past.
Several people told you that you had the talent to be top 20 or top 50. Do you think those comments helped you or ended up being a burden?
Actually, this is an anecdote I mention about three times in the book, moments when people told me they thought I could be top 20 or top 50, but that was the only time anyone ever said that to me in my life (laughs). It sounded very strange every time someone told me that; I was a little surprised, but it also gave me confidence. It always depends on who said it. Obviously, when Pato Álvarez or Wayne Ferreira said it, that gave me a lot of confidence. I don’t think I felt it as an expectation, but rather as something strange […] Perhaps the people who were with me day-to-day didn’t tell me that as many times, which could have helped me believe in myself a bit more.
“The ATP exists to organize tournaments, not to take care of the players,” you write in the book. What would you change within the system to better support that 99% of players who are not millionaires?
Of course, I would like this sport to be financially sustainable for players outside the top 100. The gap that exists between the top 100 and the others is still very, very large. Too large. I think that is starting to change, but it is a very slow process. Most people see the millions earned by the top 100, but the reality is that the 230th still does not earn what they should be earning. If I could change one thing, it would be this, at the ATP level and at the world tennis level, but everyone would have to push together for 300 men and 300 women to earn good money from this sport. That would make tennis stronger and healthier.
Do you follow current tennis? Do you think this sport has become a business, or has it always been one?
I still watch a lot of tennis, I am still involved with the Ireland Cup team, where I serve as captain. From the outside, I enjoy it as a fan; I was at Wimbledon for a few days this summer. Regarding the business aspect, I believe it has always been a business. It is probably a bit more visible now with all the media and social media, where the commercial aspects of all players are shown […] I don’t think it has changed; the foundation of the ATP has always revolved around business. I believe I will always be connected to tennis; that feeling will always be there; it’s something that cannot be put aside as if it were nothing.
Sport is often cruel and thankless to certain athletes. Do you think tennis gave you back everything you gave it?
This is a difficult question […] Probably not. When I finished, definitely, if I hadn’t played Grand Slams, I think I would have had a real feeling that tennis hadn’t given me enough. However, the fact that I played Wimbledon and the US Open meant that for the rest of my career, I could say that I played the best tournaments, that I faced Novak Djokovic on Arthur Ashe Court. That was great, it’s not something that happens easily. In that sense, the book has helped me in terms of claiming some reward from my career. Even all the negative experiences I had, I value them for having lived through them and being able to tell them in the book. If the book has been a success, I guess those moments also helped me justify the sacrifices.
How long did it take you to come to terms with retirement? How long did you need to feel proud of your career?
I felt at peace immediately when I finished. I often say that my life got a little better, it became easier once I stopped playing, because the circuit is very challenging considering all the travel, the losses, the time away from home, or the distance from your family. When I retired, I was home more, I could have a more normal life. Yes, I lost the feeling of playing in big tournaments, but most of my career was based on the Challenger circuit, so I didn’t stop earning a substantial salary either. And in terms of pride regarding my career, I don’t think it has changed. I don’t feel different now compared to when I finished, where I already had a good perspective on everything I had done. Of course, I think I could have done a little more, done it a little better, but at the same time, I felt proud of not having done much worse.
Many people tend to see tennis players who don’t reach the top 100 as examples of failure. Did you ever transfer this thought outside the court, into your personal life?
Absolutely. The reason I wrote the book was to show exactly what the life of players in the top 150, top 200, and top 250 is like, to teach how good you have to be to reach that level. In my case, it was very difficult; you constantly judge yourself as a player, based on your ranking. And when you’re not in the top 100, you start to feel like a failure, but the reality is that there are only 100 people on Earth who are better than you at something. It’s not a large number compared to other sports. I have struggled a lot with that, so it became a great motivation to try to explain what the tour is like from the inside to people who are not involved with tennis.
Is the hardest moment for a player when they lose faith?
For me, the hardest moment is when a player loses motivation and affection for their mistakes, when you’re on the court and feel nothing. That’s how I felt in my last matches when I traveled to Japan and Singapore with my father, as I explain at the end of the book. In those matches, I felt nothing when I played; I felt empty. That was the hardest moment. If you’re trying, confidence can come and go, but once you lose that impact… that’s the most terrifying moment; it’s the hardest thing to recover.
Of the things you missed out on achieving within the elite, what would you have liked to experience?
The opportunity to play more often in big tournaments, to play in more Grand Slams, of course. Not only for the prestige, but also because these events represent all the hard work you have done. Your family can be there and experience it with you. Your friends can come and be part of something much larger. Here I have no doubts, spending more time in those environments would have been a reward for me and my family. Competing in a couple more Grand Slams would have been great.
In the book, you talk a lot about Federer. What makes him so special?
He was the first of the three greats to appear; I think he was an incredible player. The first thing that surprised me when I saw him, just before he became a star and reached his peak in 2003-04, was how well he moved, along with all the play and fluidity he displayed; everything about him was special. He also competed very well, he was very calm, he didn’t give you anything emotionally. Let’s say he came with the whole package, even that one-handed backhand made him a bit different, more special compared to a Djokovic, Murray, or Nadal. He had a complete game and some very unique qualities.
What does Ireland need to produce a player who can go far on tour?
There is not a single answer to this issue […] To begin with, I think we now have better facilities, more indoor courts, more clay courts, more funding to help players on tour, a better tournament structure for young players playing Tennis Europe and ITF, in addition to having added more Futures and Challengers events within the country. Now, I would like to see a major event in Ireland; that would make a huge difference in terms of visibility and opportunities for players.
What would you have liked to be told about tennis before becoming a professional?
The importance of the environment when it comes to training. As I said before, being at IMG or the Bollettieri Academy would have been very important. I spent a lot of time in Ireland trying to develop good strokes and gain access to players. Now I understand how crucial the environment is for training; it’s fundamental from a young age, and it’s something I would have liked to change.
If you could go back and talk to the 20-year-old Conor, what would you tell him?
To enjoy the journey a little more. I probably spent too much time worrying about the ranking; I didn’t always appreciate the countries I was in. So I would tell him to enjoy the journey a little more.
Do you remember what you thought at that age?
At 20? I thought I was going to play in the Grand Slams, but I’m convinced that if I had been more focused and less desperate about other issues, I could have reached higher. This is a message for anyone starting out: enjoy it a bit more and try to believe in yourselves.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, “El tenis no me dio lo suficiente, pero jugar Wimbledon y el US Open lo cambió todo”