Diving into the world of professional tennis was the last thing I expected to do this weekend, but Taylor Jenkins Reid’s “Carrie Soto Is Back” served up an ace that kept me glued to its pages until the early morning. TJR is an excellent author, so I really wasn’t surprised by how invested I became in every match.
The story follows Carrie Soto, a tennis legend who dominated the sport with 20 Grand Slam titles before retiring. When a rising star threatens to break her record, 37-year-old Carrie decides to make an unprecedented comeback. It’s one thing to be the best in your twenties, but trying to reclaim that glory after years away from the court? That’s either incredibly brave or completely crazy – and I loved every second of it.
Reid’s writing style pulls you right into the intensity of professional tennis. The way she describes each match had my heart racing like I was actually courtside, even though my own athletic achievements peaked at participating in my middle school badminton tournament (I lost spectacularly, by the way). The short, punchy chapters mirror the quick back-and-forth rhythm of tennis itself, making the pages fly by faster than a perfectly executed serve.
What really drew me in was Carrie herself – she’s not your typical lovable protagonist. She’s fierce, unapologetic, and honestly? Kind of difficult to like sometimes. But that’s exactly what makes her fascinating. In a world where female athletes are expected to be both fierce competitors and America’s sweethearts, Carrie refuses to play that game. She reminds me of some of my closest friends who excel in male-dominated fields – brilliant women who’ve been called “aggressive” or “difficult” simply for knowing their worth and speaking their minds.
The relationship between Carrie and her father-coach Javier is beautifully crafted. Their dynamic brought back memories of watching my best friend and her dad practice piano for hours every weekend when we were kids – that special bond between a parent who recognizes their child’s talent and a child who lives to make them proud. Reid captures this complexity perfectly, showing both the strength and the potential pitfalls of having your parent so deeply involved in your professional life.
The book’s exploration of sexism in sports feels particularly relevant. When male athletes show aggression or confidence, they’re “passionate” and “driven.” When Carrie does the same? She’s “difficult” and “unlikable.” This double standard had me thinking about conversations I’ve had with other women about how we sometimes downplay our achievements to appear more “likable.”
What I found particularly compelling was how Reid deals with aging in professional sports. There’s something incredibly powerful about watching Carrie fight against time itself, refusing to accept that her best days are behind her. It made me think about all the times we let age become an excuse for not pursuing our dreams (like how I keep saying I’m “too old” to start learning Korean, even though I know that’s ridiculous).
The tennis matches themselves are surprisingly gripping, even for someone like me who usually finds sports about as exciting as watching paint dry. Reid manages to make each game feel like a psychological thriller, where every serve and return carries the weight of years of training, sacrifice, and determination.
However, this isn’t just a sports story. It’s about identity, family, ambition, and what happens when the one thing that defines you is threatened. There’s a moment when Carrie reflects on her childhood, seeing other kids building sandcastles while she practiced, that perfectly captures the cost of greatness – what we give up in pursuit of exceptional achievement.
The supporting characters add depth to the story without overshadowing Carrie’s journey. Each person she encounters forces her to confront different aspects of herself, whether it’s her father who represents her past, her competitors who challenge her present, or potential romantic interests who make her question her future.
I do wish we’d gotten a bit more insight into Carrie’s life outside of tennis, though perhaps that absence is the point – tennis has consumed everything else. Still, I found myself wanting to know more about the parts of her that exist beyond the court.
Taylor Jenkins Reid has once again created a character who feels almost uncomfortably real. Like with “Evelyn Hugo” and “Daisy Jones,” I had to keep reminding myself that Carrie Soto isn’t actually a real person whose matches I could look up on YouTube (I may have tried, don’t judge me).
“Carrie Soto Is Back” is a masterclass in storytelling that had me – someone who once used a tennis racket as a pretend guitar – completely invested in every serve, volley, and match point. It’s about more than just tennis; it’s about having the courage to demand greatness from yourself, even when the world tells you your time has passed.
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