Sally Bradfield Story Behind Tennis Scenes and New Book Not quite 30-Love

Sally Bradfield had one of the best jobs in the world. A job many would envy, a job people dream about scoring. She traveled the world working as a Communications Manager and Publicist for the WTA Tour and as a Brand Manager for the ATP Tour. For almost twenty years Sally lived her life working very closely with some of the best athletes in the world. 

Not quite 30-Love is Sally’s new novel about Katie Cook, who lands her dream job in the world of professional tennis. The story started as an autobiography but instead turned into a novel about Katie Cook’s life, dramas and of course life on the tennis tour. 

Tennis is becoming more popular again with some strong characters and super talented players. People want to watch tennis again, celebrities want to be seen at tennis events and viewing numbers are up. The novel will take you to different parts of the world and give you an inside into what is going on a day-to-day basis.

Sally has lived this life and loved every minute of it!  According to Sally, “It is a tough job, but it is a rewarding one. You really have to believe in what you are doing. The long hours and the travel is really hard but the staff on the tour are very passionate and caring and they do anything to help the players succeed.”

Having formed many close relationships with players, her favourite moment was when Jill Craybas former world number 39 won her first and only singles title. Sally remembers the hot weather and Craybas looked like she was about to lose. The press was already lined up outside the court waiting to interview Jill’s opponent. Jill turned the match around and came back to win her first singles tournament. Sally helped Craybas through the ceremony since this was the first time Craybas had won a singles event. “It was stinking hot on this day, the end of a long week, but at the end of the day, moments like these are precious, seeing your friends winning tournaments and being part of it”, Sally told me.

The most common question people ask Sally about her time spent on tour is, “Who is nice and who is awful?”

As Sally explains, “The staff on the tour meet the players at good and bad times of their lives. It is hard to ask a player to do a press conference when they have just lost in five sets at Wimbledon. The players have to do certain sponsor engagements each week, and sometimes when you are having a bad day, the last thing you would want to do is be nice or talk to strangers. Most players do understand this part of the job is very important but we all have bad days at work.”

Writing letters to the tournament directors around the world is how Sally Bradfield managed to get this great job in the first place. She looked in the ATP and WTA Media Guide and found out who the Tournament Directors were at each event, wrote a letter and introduced herself – and it worked. One of the first jobs she got was at the Sydney tournament. 

Sally has now left the tennis tour. She is now living in NSW with her partner Nicole Arendt, a former tennis professional, who reached a career-high of 49. 

We are very excited to read Not quite 30-Love and learn about the life behind the glamorous tennis scene. 

Please check website and social media 

My website for the novel is www.notquite30love.com  

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/notquite30love/   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SallyBradfield 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/nq30love/ 

Book Blurb 

Twenty-eight-year-old Katie Cook lands her dream job in the world of professional tennis. It was like being invited to the Academy Awards, except they were all wearing branded tracksuits.

Katie finds life in Sydney to be not quite measuring up and makes the move to follow her childhood obsession with professional tennis, running away to join this circus of a world and finding work as a publicist.

Racing around the globe faster than a Contiki tour, creating internet scandals wherever she goes, Katie is seduced by the appearance of glamour and her weakness for bad boys. She falls for one of the troubled champions and starts a trending relationship.

With an archenemy placing social media bombs in her way and hashtags haunting Katie in her sleep, she navigates her way through a series of social media and love crises.

Katie has some decisions to make. Does she want a hero or a career? Will she end up happily ever after? What does that even mean? One thing is for sure, she will never schedule an Instagram post again! #Girlscanbeheroestoo.