Taking Your Tennis on Tour: The Business, Science, and Reality of Going Pro »

Bonita L. Marks, PhD, is an associate professor of exercise physiology at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. Her research has been published in such journals as Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Medicine and Science in Tennis, and The New England Journal of Medicine. Her work has also appeared in Men's Health, The New York Times, and Shape, as well as on MSNBC and NBC World Radio News. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Drawing upon stories from professional players and coaches both former and current, this book provides aspiring tennis professionals with a dose of reality as it reveals all of the necessities of life off-the-court. Thousands of players try to make it on the men's tennis pro circuit every year without a clue that they must also be their own coach, travel agent, financier, promoter, lawyer, and accountant, while simultaneously turning their pro tennis dream into a sound business venture. From the mechanics of self-promotion to developing a business plan and keeping the machine going financially while maintaining the physical and mental stamina to improve their ranking, this book guides players, coaches, and parents through the nuts and bolts of turning pro.