Now in its 36th year, the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award is the world’s longest established and most valuable literary sports-writing prize.

Former Irish tennis professional Conor Niland was crowned the winner of the 2024 Award, for his memoir The Racket: On Tour with Tennis’s Golden Generation.

The Racket becomes the first tennis book to clinch the world’s longest established and most valuable literary sports-writing prize in its history and Niland is the first author from the Republic of Ireland to win since Paul Kimmage’s Rough Ride: Behind the Wheel with a Pro Cyclist in 1990.

Niland’s autobiography describes the highs and lows of his career on the ATP Tour, revealing the hardships of the majority of players struggling to balance the books as they seek to breakthrough against the game’s best.

The Racket is an underdog story that lifts the lid on the perils of match-fixing and doping in tennis, while also sharing light-hearted tales of Niland’s seven years on the road.

You can read more on Conor’s win here.

About the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award

The William Hill Sports Book of the Year award is dedicated to rewarding excellence in sports writing and was first awarded in 1989. This year, 2024, the prize for winning the award will, once again, be £30,000.

When we start the process of reading for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year, we sometimes only have five or six books entered. It is like the early stages of the racing season, when every horse just might be a Derby winner, according to its owner, trainer and jockey, but as each one appears on a racecourse it has to be judged against the other contenders and either eliminated from, or promoted up, the list of potential champions.

No matter which way it goes, our ultimate winner will always be an over-achieving, richly deserving sporting champion.

Prizes

The William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award is the world’s longest established and most valuable literary sports-writing prize. The winning author will receive £30,000 and a trophy. Shortlisted authors receive £3,000 cash and a leather-bound copy of their book.

Previous winners of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award