It’s surprising the tennis media hasn’t mentioned the passing of the fine author of one of the greatest tennis books ever written – Hard Courts: A look at one year on the mens’ and womens’ professional tennis tours (1990). Feinstein authored 44 books in total, including the hugely popular Season On The Brink, about Indiana University and it’s controversial coach Bobby Knight.
But Hard Courts was a fascinating masterpiece which I read in the mid 90s when my own tennis fascination was just hatching from the egg.
It’s such a fabulous book, I have re-read certain parts multiple times and still do, especially the chapter about Ted Tinling, the renowned, historic clothing designer and soul of the sport.
Because it illustrated a wonderful tribute to Tinling and also Monica Seles…
Feinstein wrote about Tinling’s adoration of Seles, who Ted compared to his beloved muse Suzanne Lenglen. “We’ve had the awkwardness of Court, the bitchiness of Billie Jean, the brown sugar of Chrissie, the butchness of Martina, and the manic shyness of Graf. Now we shall have Seles and she will be wonderful. Completely wonderful.”
Ted foresaw that Seles would win her first Grand Slam as a teen and then passed away shortly before she fulfilled his prophecy. At Wimbledon, there was a memorial for Ted which only a few players showed up for, Evert, Shriver, Wade, Rinaldi, Hetherington (no King, Capriati, Martina) and then, Feinstein wrote in his book, annoyed by how so few players came to pay respects, “…as I was about to sit down, I looked up and there was Monica Seles. Two weeks after she had fulfilled Ted’s prediction by beating Graf in the French Open final, she had fought her way through the tabloid press that was congregated outside and made it into the church. As much as any of them – perhaps more – she could have found an excuse not to come. But she was there. I looked up to wherever you look in those situations and I said, ‘Ted, you always knew how to pick ’em.’ And then I cried.”
Hard Courts closely examines so many intriguing topics, practically in real time, as Feinstein was there, traveling the tour that year – McEnroe’s default in Australia, Alberto Mancini’s rise and fall, Jennifer Capriati’s sensational debut, Steffi Graf’s roller coaster ride up and down career, the emergence of Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi’s early career immaturity. The book literally makes you feel like you’re on the tour for a year. It’s still one of the best sports books I ever read and always will be.
John Feinstein, was also a long time Washington Post columnist and regularly covered the US Open for the first few days of the Grand Slam but then he was always gone after the second or third day, presumably to cover something else. He also wrote books about college football, golf, baseball, basketball. We did a Biofile interview but it’s in my NJ office (I’m in Florida now till May).
If you have never read Hard Courts, you must. John Feinstein was a Novak Djokovic of sports writing, relentless, talented, creative, tireless, and original. His perspective of tennis made the sport even more interesting.
John was born July 28, 1955 in New York City. His dad was the general manager of the Washington National Opera and executive director of the Kennedy Center. Feinstein graduated from Duke University. He was married twice with three children. He died at his brother’s home in Virgnia on March 13.
Hard Courts · John Feinstein · John McEnroe · Monica Seles · Pete Sampras · Ted Tinling
catherine · April 4, 2025 at 9:49 am
Sorry to hear this. I never knew Feinstein personally although several of my colleagues did. I remember ‘Hard Courts’ one of the first ‘fly on the wall’ type of tennis books.
John shared the fascination several tennis journalists had with Teddy Tinling. In England he didn’t seem that outrageous. Sadly, by the time Teddy died he belonged to the past.
Scoop Malinowski · April 4, 2025 at 1:38 pm
Catherine, Tinling had a very long history in the sport dating all the way back to being a chair umpire for Suzanne Lenglen when he was just a kid. He dedicated his life to tennis, designing women’s outfits and became like a voice and soul of the game who as Feinstein wrote, had everyone’s ear and respect. Hard Courts is required reading for all serious tennis enthusiasts.
catherine · April 5, 2025 at 5:01 am
Scoop – My first editor knew Teddy well, they used to play tennis together. Teddy had a great reputation in tennis but outside the game in Britain he just fitted into a niche as a slightly eccentric dress designer best known for Gussie Moran’s knickers. His second career, after he moved to the US, was much more influential and satisfying to himself.
Teddy’s one big failing was his unwillingness to forgive people he imagined had slighted him.
Scoop Malinowski · April 5, 2025 at 7:53 am
Catherine, any examples/details of a Tingling grudge against someone who disrespected him? One quality Feinstein made clear about Tinling was his guts to tell it like it is to anybody. Wendy Turnbull was a bad announcer who spouted non stop cliches and Tinling ripped her for it. When she confronted him he stood his ground and advised her to tell us what it’s like being out there, instead of telling viewers the obvious, what they all see. She got the message.
catherine · April 5, 2025 at 11:56 am
I met Teddy on and off and interviewed him once. I didn’t like him at all. He seemed to have no time for people who weren’t connected to tennis and/or weren’t rich or titled.
Julie Heldman (daughter of Gladys) stopped wearing his clothes when she felt she was acting as a billboard for smoking through Virginia Slims. He never spoke to her again.
Scoop Malinowski · April 5, 2025 at 6:27 pm
Catherine, he was a strange bird who would say anything, no filter. Once he was watching two known lesbians playing. And a fan yelled at Ted, And you f***** homosexual you should not be watching this match!… Ted always had a quick reply and responded that he was not a practicing homosexual. Odd bird. It’s part of the Ted chapter in Feinstein’s book.