Contra las cuerdas : De gira con la élite del tenis mundial... y el 99% restante

When Conor Niland was sixteen, he was chosen to hit with Serena Williams at Nick Bollettieri's renowned academy in Florida. Conor, Ireland's number one junior player, was battling homesickness; Serena, the same age, already owned a mansion next to the academy. Niland knows what it feels like when Roger Federer enters the locker room ("Ciao, bonjour, hello!") and has experienced facing Novak Djokovic on the world's largest tennis court... while suffering from food poisoning. Yet, he never reached the top. He honed his skills on the Futures and Challenger circuits, those brutal circles of hell for those ranked outside the top 100, where victories often only cover the hotel bill or a plane ticket to the next tournament. "Against the Ropes" immerses us in a hidden and fascinating world where a handful of millionaire players escorted by coaches and physiotherapists share the stage with solitary professionals who give their all to make a name for themselves in ATP tournaments and Grand Slams.