The Singles Game – Lauren Weisberger (2016)

The Singles Game by Lauren Weisberger, published in 2016, dives into the fiercely competitive world of professional women’s tennis, following Charlotte “Charlie” Silver, a young American athlete grappling with ambition, injury, love, and reinvention. Written by the bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada, this contemporary novel blends glamor, grit, and the high stakes of elite sports to explore what it takes to win both on and off the court.

Plot Summary

Charlotte Silver stepped onto Centre Court at Wimbledon for the first time with more nerves than she’d ever known. The crowd shimmered in white and pastel, the Royal Box full of dignitaries, and all eyes locked on her. Every detail – her all-white outfit, her carefully chosen gear, even her banana – had been selected to perfection. But nothing prepared her for the official’s quiet condemnation of her shoes. The soles, a subtle pink, violated the tournament’s stringent dress code. In a rush, she changed into emergency sneakers – clunky, ill-fitting, and unfamiliar. What followed was pain, distraction, and eventually disaster. A wrong move, a pop in her ankle, a fall like a dropped stone. Her body betrayed her under the weight of expectations, and the world went black.

The injury was devastating: a ruptured Achilles and fractured wrist. From the hospital bed, surrounded by family and fast food wrappers, Charlie began to reckon with a new reality. She was only twenty-four, too young to be done, but the pain – physical and emotional – was unrelenting. Her longtime coach, Marcy, urged patience. But doubt crept into every conversation. Even Marcy, the steady hand who had guided Charlie since she was fifteen, hinted at the possibility that her days on the tour might be over. The betrayal was quiet, but cutting. Charlie couldn’t stomach it.

Desperate not to fade away, Charlie made a decision. She fired Marcy and sought out the one person who might understand what it takes to claw back into the game’s top ranks: Todd Feltner, the infamously brutal and brilliant coach of tennis legends. Their first conversation was an insult wrapped in a warning. He told her she wouldn’t make it. But Charlie, fueled by defiance and something deeper – the need to prove her worth – unleashed a monologue of her own. She laid bare every sacrifice she had made: leaving school, training through pain, missing every normal teenage milestone. She wasn’t ready to give it all up.

Todd, impressed not by her résumé but by her rage, agreed to coach her.

With Todd came transformation. Gone was the sweet, humble athlete loved by fans. In her place rose the Warrior Princess – fierce, flashy, unpredictable. Todd rebuilt her game and her image from the ground up. Fashion shoots, tabloid gossip, red carpet appearances – Charlie became more than a player. She became a brand. Her newfound confidence spilled into her playing. Wins followed. Her name crept back up the rankings, and sponsorships poured in. But along with the victories came a quiet unraveling.

Charlie found herself locked in a strange dance with Marco Vallejo, a charming player with a killer serve and a reputation to match. They were friends, maybe more, depending on the day and the time zone. Their chemistry simmered under press scrutiny and post-match drinks, but Marco was elusive, and Charlie was on a mission. Still, in moments between tournaments, she let herself dream about him – just enough to feel something other than the grind.

Fame didn’t come without cost. Her relationship with Jake, her brother and manager, strained under the weight of endorsements and tight schedules. Her father, once the steady presence at every match, watched from the sidelines with worry in his eyes. Charlie wasn’t sure who she was anymore – not the girl who played in her backyard under the California sun, not the poised professional with rehearsed interviews. She was becoming someone new, someone harder.

The tipping point arrived at the US Open. The crowd roared, cameras flashed, and Charlie faced her fiercest opponent yet. But the real opponent was her own body, screaming from the months of wear and reinjury. Todd pushed her to play through it. Image was everything. Pain, weakness, emotion – those were luxuries for other people. Charlie won, but when she looked in the mirror afterward, she saw someone she didn’t recognize.

Later, in her hotel room, alone with ice packs and silence, Charlie reread an old message from Marco. It was kind, simple – a reminder of life outside the arena. She started to cry and couldn’t stop.

The next morning, she walked into Todd’s suite and told him it was over. Not tennis – not her dream – but this version of it. She thanked him, but she didn’t belong to him, or to the Warrior Princess brand, or to the tabloids. She was taking herself back.

Charlie returned to Topanga Canyon and to Marcy. Apologies were exchanged, not with words, but with the ease of old rituals. A jog at dawn. Footwork drills under eucalyptus trees. The slow, deliberate rebuilding of trust. Marcy didn’t ask questions. She knew the road Charlie had traveled. She also knew the fire was still there – only now, it burned in the right places.

When Charlie next stepped onto the court, she wasn’t a product. She was a player. Her outfit was simple, her strokes sharp. She smiled when she missed a shot, laughed at a bad line call. The crowd noticed. Not the Warrior Princess, they whispered, but something better. Something real.

She didn’t win every match, but she played the best tennis of her life. And when she met Marco again in the players’ lounge in Melbourne, they didn’t need to say much. He offered a drink. She said yes. The match schedule could wait.

Charlie knew she wouldn’t play forever. But for now, she was back. On her own terms.

Main Characters

• Charlotte “Charlie” Silver – The protagonist, Charlie is a talented tennis player from Topanga Canyon, California, who suffers a serious injury during her first match on Wimbledon’s Centre Court. Intelligent, determined, and resilient, she’s forced to reassess her career trajectory and personal identity. As she transitions from a wholesome fan-favorite to a media-fueled “Warrior Princess” under new management, her internal conflicts deepen. Her journey is one of transformation, resilience, and self-discovery.

• Marcy – Charlie’s long-time coach, Marcy is a mother-figure and confidante who trained Charlie from a young age. Grounded and nurturing, she represents stability and trust. However, when Marcy questions Charlie’s post-injury potential, a rift forms, leading Charlie to make a pivotal career decision.

• Jake Silver – Charlie’s older brother and manager, Jake is supportive, witty, and fiercely protective. A constant source of honesty and encouragement, Jake navigates the business side of Charlie’s career with savvy and affection.

• Todd Feltner – A legendary, no-nonsense coach known for his ruthless drive and success with top male players. When Charlie hires him in a bid to revitalize her career, he introduces her to a more cutthroat version of the game, forcing her to adopt a persona that may cost her more than she anticipated.

• Marco – A fellow tennis player and love interest, Marco adds emotional complexity to Charlie’s life. Their flirtation and connection underscore her struggle between personal desire and professional ambition.

Theme

• Identity and Reinvention – A major theme centers on Charlie’s transformation, both physical and psychological, as she rebuilds her career post-injury. From the all-American girl to a hyper-curated media brand, the novel questions where performance ends and personhood begins.

• The Price of Ambition – Charlie’s quest for tennis glory is fraught with sacrifices. Weisberger probes what individuals must give up – love, authenticity, relationships – in pursuit of elite success, and whether it’s ultimately worth it.

• Feminine Power and Image – The novel explores how female athletes are commodified and stylized to fit public expectations. Charlie’s “makeover” and the curated “Warrior Princess” persona speak to broader issues of image over substance and the societal pressures placed on women in the spotlight.

• Mentorship and Betrayal – The shifting relationships between Charlie and her two coaches reveal the complexities of mentorship. As Marcy and Todd embody different coaching philosophies, Charlie is forced to confront what guidance she truly needs – emotional support or ruthless expertise.

• Family and Loyalty – Through her bond with Jake and reflections on her late mother and devoted father, Charlie’s grounding in family provides contrast to the superficiality of fame. Their loyalty offers an emotional tether throughout her volatile career.

Writing Style and Tone

Weisberger writes with a breezy, contemporary tone laced with biting wit and sharp observational detail. Her prose is fast-paced and dialogue-heavy, capturing the frenetic energy of the tennis tour and the glitz of celebrity culture. The novel balances light humor with moments of emotional vulnerability, ensuring Charlie’s voice remains both accessible and layered.

The narrative is written in a third-person limited perspective centered on Charlie, allowing readers intimate access to her thoughts, doubts, and triumphs. Weisberger uses tennis as a compelling metaphor for life’s unpredictability and intensity, while her fluid pacing ensures the story is compulsively readable. The tone remains engaging throughout, even as it dips into darker territory, keeping the reader anchored in Charlie’s emotional arc.