Of course, books about Ivan Lendl have also been published in his home country. They can be easily translated using various software tools if you don’t understand Czech. Regardless, the following four books presented here contain extremely valuable visual material for every Lendl fan.
The softcover book ‘Ivan Lendl’ by Jiří Janoušek and Pavel Vitouš, published in 1990, details Ivan Lendl’s rise to the top of the tennis world, his playing style, and his rigorous physical and mental preparation. It also recounts Lendl’s childhood, his beginnings in tennis in Czechoslovakia, and his subsequent career in the USA. The final section of the 191-page publication contains an insightful statistical overview covering the period from 1970 (!) to early 1990, including results from various tournaments and (inter)national rankings. Numerous photographs (primarily in black and white) from his career and private moments complete the book.
Lubomír Man’s 1995 book, ‘Jak vyhrát pomerančovou mísu’ (‘How to Win the Orange Bowl’), chronicles Lendl’s career from his childhood and early days in tennis to his victory at the prestigious, unofficial junior world championships, the so-called ‘Orange Bowl’. It comprises 159 pages with lots of images (mainly black and white) from Lendl’s youth and concludes with general tips for tennis beginners.
Petr Čermák’s 2013 biography, ‘Lendl – Veliký příběh’ (‘Lendl – The Great Story’), illuminates the unique tennis talent of Ivan Lendl and his path to the top of the world. It describes his difficult beginnings, when, despite international success, he faced criticism and was unwelcome in his homeland, then socialist Czechoslovakia, and later became unpopular in the USA as well. The book then analyzes the period from 1985 onward, when Lendl conquered the tennis world with his performances, becoming a megastar and ultimately a legend. Čermák focuses not only on statistics but also on Lendl’s personality and his newfound mentality. The publication comprises 192 pages plus an additional 32-page color photo section.
‘Cesta na tenisový trůn’ (‘The Road to the Tennis Throne’) was written by Vladimír Houdek, who had coached and managed the tennis twins Karolína and Kristýna Plíšková for many years, from their youth on local courts and also during their professional careers. In 256 pages, he offers a glimpse behind the scenes of top-level tennis and tells the story of Karolína Plíšková’s rise to fame. Published in 2019, the book is not only interesting for parents of young tennis players, but also for anyone who is passionate about the sport. Moreover, the abundance of high-quality photos of current players and tournaments, as well as the interspersed portraits of legends, invite repeated browsing.
