Second Serve

About the book
Shortly before his 60th birthday, Joerg 'Rocket' Pfuhl, a successful publishing executive, decides to devote himself to what he's always dreamed of: tennis. He quits his job, develops a training program, and resolves to become as good and go as far as possible. With each day of his new life, his passion grows. He works with a pro, participates in his first tournaments, and soon travels the world to gain experience at international tournaments, discovering a new world. His goal: a place in the top ten in his age group.

A gripping and motivating story about growing older, the courage to venture into new territory, setting goals, and why it's always worth following your dreams.


About the author
Dr. Joerg Pfuhl was born in Bremen, Germany, in 1964. He has been active in the German and US media industry for over 25 years with a focus on trade book publishing. His roles have included that of President Random House Inc., CEO Verlagsgruppe Random House (Bertelsmann) and CEO Holtzbrinck Buchverlage, and he was involved in the German launch of digital start-ups Audible and Skoobe. In addition, he was Chairman of the German Reading Foundation (Stiftung Lesen) for a decade. For several years now, he has been a lecturer and member of several supervisory boards.
Joerg enjoys playing tennis with great dedication and has participated in three Senior World Championships, was German runner-up in mixed doubles in his age category in 2023 and British doubles champion in 2024.