Charlie Pasarell' s journey began on the sunlit courts of Puerto Rico and carried him all the way to tennis' s grandest stages, like Wimbledon' s Centre Court. Along the way, he played record-setting matches, led history-making protests, and became part of the game' s most defining stories. In Serving First, the International Tennis Hall of Famer shares a powerful, deeply human collection of stories about the people and experiences that shaped him-- family, including his tennis-champion parents, Dora and Charlie; lifelong friends like Arthur Ashe; and legends like Pancho Gonzalez, who mentored Pasarell and later faced him in a five-hour Wimbledon epic that still echoes in tennis history.Ranked as America' s number one tennis player in 1967, NCAA champion, two-time National Indoor Champion, and a five-time U.S. Davis Cup team member, he played with grit and vision and competed on the tour for over 16 years. Off the court, he helped revolutionize the game-- co-founding the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), launching the National Junior Tennis League for under-resourced youth, and building a tournament in Indian Wells into one of tennis' s biggest events.But this memoir is about far more than stats or titles.

It' s a story of character, purpose, and moments that leave a mark-- like traveling to Vietnam during the war while serving in the U.S. Army alongside Lieutenant Arthur Ashe; spending time with Robert F. Kennedy during the senator' s final year; and helping organize a bold player withdrawal from Wimbledon to protect a fellow player' s rights-- an action that forever shifted the sport' s power dynamics.Woven throughout are the quiet, lasting lessons from Pasarell' s father-- words of wisdom that shaped his character and continue to guide him. While his friendship with Ashe is one of the book' s most moving threads, this is ultimately a broader reflection on a life anchored in love-- for his wife, children, parents, friends, and the many who stood beside him through triumphs, trials, and everything in between.Warm, funny, and moving, Serving First is a memoir about dreams realized, values lived, and relationships that endure. Pasarell invites readers on a journey defined not just by achievement, but by the people and moments that gave it meaning.

It' s a celebration of sport-- but more than that, it' s an epic tale from a man who has lived an epic life.