The Master

The Long Run and Beautiful Game of Roger Federer

By: Christopher Clarey

Narrated by: Kiff VandenHeuvel

This New York Times bestselling biography tells the life story of the most iconic 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.

Critic reviews

"Roger Federer is the most beautiful and balletic player I've ever seen. In this entertaining and deeply researched book, Christopher Clarey, the top tennis writer of today, tells the story of how Federer became one of our sport's greatest champions and how much harder it was than he made it look."—Billie Jean King, former World No. 1 professional tennis player

“Style married with substance. Heft married with levity. Polished, detail-oriented, executed with grace. Roger Federer gets the biography he deserves.”—L. Jon Wertheim, Sports Illustrated executive editor and bestselling author of THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON SPORTS

"Roger Federer plays tennis like Michelangelo painted: every stroke is perfection, the end result a masterpiece. Christopher Clarey captured just that."—Martina Navratilova, former World No. 1 professional tennis player

"Christopher Clarey is a rare combination: the consummate insider with an objective lens. With THE MASTER, he delivers a deep and enlightening view of Roger’s life and career that sports fans will be parsing for decades.”—Jim Courier, former world No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam singles champion

"An iconic master in his own field, Christopher Clarey is the perfect writer to wrap up the gift that is Roger Federer's career. You're not going to get a better look into his life, personality, and character. Christopher got close but not too close to Roger to compromise his perspective on this great champion. He shows sides and layers of Roger through conversations and stories that we have never been privy to before. I have deep respect for Christopher's fair and thoughtful journalism."—Chris Evert, American former world No. 1 tennis player and winner of 18 Grand Slam singles championships

"Christopher Clarey follows Roger Federer from insecure teen to mature champion who takes his family with him on the road and loves visiting new places. It takes a master to know a master. Among the many highlights of this valuable biography: informed glimpses of other great stars in Federer’s long career."—George Vecsey, New York Times sports columnist and bestselling author of MARTINA and LORETTA LYNN: COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER

"Perhaps no athletic figure of the past half century has so thoroughly captured the imagination of the worldwide public quite like Roger Federer. In this compelling book, the cerebral Christopher Clarey takes us behind the scenes to examine Federer across the board and up close as a man of deep sensitivity, a champion of singular creativity and a transcendent sports figure."—Steve Flink, leading tennis historian and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, author of THE GREATEST TENNIS MATCH OF ALL TIME

The star all others are measured against

The accents are wild just speed up the audio and you are good to go

It is ok

The best parts of this book are the details on a 20 year snapshot of tennis history. Loved learning about the mini bios of so many greats.

What this is not is a detailed tell all biography about Fed. It touches on his life but lacks the emotion and soul of “Rafa”.

The worst part of the audiobook are the atrocious, almost comical accents used by the narrator. It is not hyperbole to say that is nearly ruins the experience. Amazon/audible should consider re-recording this in an accent free version.

Grace under pressure

The narrator is enthusiastic, and if you love tennis, you’ll love this book, as it dances through Federer’s career

Excellent

This was an excellent book filled with interesting information and details. The author captured the essence of Federer.

For great tennis fan…

I’ve been fortunate enough to watch live some of the matches described in this book. Being a great Fedal Fan felt special to somehow understand their thinking and tactics behind the scene. The one chapter with a lot of Djokovic is the one I couldn’t quite make connection to the whole story. But overall amazing book!