Richard Gonzalez: The Last Chapter

With the publication of Tennis Begins at Forty, Richard Gonzalez took on a new role. In 1978, Richard Gonzalez published another tennis book. This one was called Tennis Begins At Forty. In this book, Gonzalez gave tips for a different kind of tennis from what he had played most of his life. He described how adults new to the game or adults over the age of forty could play good tennis and have fun. Now Gonzalez had assumed a new role, the role of the aging expert and people looked to him for advice about their own tennis games. Gonzalez himself claimed to enjoy the sport more now than in the days when he was constantly competing. He also wrote articles for tennis magazines. Some articles gave advice. Others expressed his views on the sport. In one he gave tips for longevity in tennis. "An athlete should learn how to rest more while he's competing," Gonzalez advised. "Players don't realize that the body needs rest." "Invariably, they'll lie down after practice for 10 or 15 minutes and then wake up and find a couple of hours have gone by. Your body is talking to you. The same thing is true...