Mr. Nastase (The Autobiography)

London: Collins Willow, 2004. First Printing. Hardcover. Near fine/Fine. Ilie Theodoriu Năstase (born 1946) is a Romanian former world No. 1 tennis player. He held the top singles spot from 23 August 1973 to 2 June 1974, and was the first man to hold the position on the computerized ATP rankings. Năstase is one of the 10 players in history who have won over 100 total ATP titles, with 64 in singles and 45 in doubles.  He won seven major titles: two in singles, three in men's doubles and two in mixed doubles. He also won four Masters Grand Prix year-end championship titles. He was the first professional sports figure to sign an endorsement contract with Nike, doing so in 1972.  Năstase wrote several novels in French in the 1980's, and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1991.

From the publisher:
"It would not be an overstatement to say that Ilie Nastase was at least partly responsible for the explosion of interest in tennis in the 1970s. Thanks to his prowess on the court, his flamboyant lifestyle, his sex appeal, and the controversy that continually surrounded him, Nastase s name was well known far beyond the confines of tennis. In this candid autobiography, he recalls his days as a young troublemaker in Bucharest, his rise in the world of tennis, his incident-packed glory years in the game, and his high-profile life as a playboy. A sparkling memoir, recounted with all the swagger and bravado of the original bad boy of tennis."


This copy is near fine in black cloth on the spine.  There is a 1" tear, with no loss, at the bottom of the half title page, but no other marks or damage.  The unclipped DJ is also excellent.  It is signed by Nastase on the title page.

. CH.