As winter tightens its grip, a relative tennis-related depression sets in as the courts fall silent under the chill. To keep our tennis spirits high, we've asked our most obsessive tennis friends for their must-read tennis books to keep your mind in play during the off-season.

Levels Of The Game by John McPhee (1979)

"My all-time favorite is Levels of the Game by the legendary John McPhee, which delves into the lives of Arthur Ashe and Clark Graebner as they face off in the 1968 US Open semifinal, switching back and forth between on-court action and their personal stories. Plus, it’s got one of the best book covers ever". — Hugo Beniada, Strategy Director, New York

Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryū (1970)

"Suzuki, who largely brought Zen to the West, distills Shoshin (beginner’s mind) into a reader-friendly guide that sheds light on the life-and-tennis applicable facets of Buddhism. He cements the paradoxical truth that continually adopting a beginner’s mind is the essence of an expert; approaching anything with an open mind, free of limitations, doubts, and habits, allows us to fully be present, achieve stillness, and perform at our highest level. The self-sabotaging tendencies of our judging mind limit our ability to focus on the tennis ball in front of us. Several Western performance psychologists have adopted Shoshin and repurposed some of its key elements into concepts like Carol Dweck’s growth mindset, Jim Loehr’s private voice, and perhaps most famously the coaching philosophy of Phil Jackson during the Chicago Bulls 1990s dominance. I recommend this book to ambitious players who are open to seeing tennis as a spiritual practice and might find themselves stuck". — Simon Hegelund, Tennis Coach-Oracle, Los Angeles

US Open by Sports Graphic (2016)

"I’m not a big reader but I love looking through picture books. This set of zines is one of my favorites. It features the works of Jason Polan, Daniel Arnold & Gus Powell as they experience the 2016 US Open". — Adil Dara, founder of The Courts, Anza-Borrego

The Prince of Tennis Vol. 1 (2002)

"It was originally published in 2000, but I only got my hands on a copy in 2010 from a friend as a gift. I hadn't been into Manga comics before this but combined with world of tennis, felt like the right time to explore the genre.

Takeshi Konomi is the incredible manga artist and writer behind the story. In it, he introduces his lead character Ryoma Echizen, an emerging young tennis prodigy who possesses a steely determination for success, not entirely appreciated by everyone he meets.

Delivered like a video game, its fast paced and high energy with Ryoma pitted against opponents, each with their own unique story, aesthetic and personality. After joining an academy team he faces off against these on court enemies in matches that feature unexpected twists and morally thought provoking turns.

The story started life as a book but as a result of its success became a video game and TV series shortly after which continue to this day". — Julian Cirrone, Co-Founder of BAGEL Magazine, London

Snoopy's Tennis Book (1979)

"Snoopy is an anthropomorphic cartoon dog, but also, Snoopy playing tennis is all of us playing tennis. He moves between frustrated and cocky and inconsistent and smug and self-critical. We share the same emotional vicissitudes, Snoopy and I. I'll show you my favorite page and in doing so, show you a gaping hole in my game". — Mel Kenny, Writer, New York. Follow her Tennis Substack here.