
Lucky Loser
Adventures in Tennis and Comedy
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Narrated by:
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Michael Kosta
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By:
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Michael Kosta
About this listen
From a host of The Daily Show and stand-up comic, Michael Kosta, comes a wildly funny and insightful memoir about his unlikely journey from professional tennis player (#864 in the world) to professional comedian (there’s no ranking system in comedy but he’s probably . . . top 50?).
Before Michael Kosta was performing stand-up comedy specials and hosting The Daily Show, he was a professional tennis “star,” reaching the lofty heights of the #864 ranked men’s singles player in the world. Stop laughing. That’s better than your world ranking. As a tennis pro, Kosta traveled across the globe, competing in such exotic locales as the Netherlands, Tokyo, and even rural Illinois before deciding to put down his racket and pursue a more stable and predictable career: comedy.
In a completely unexpected and wild journey through the backwaters of professional tennis, Kosta shows the unlikely ways life on the court prepared him for life in front of a microphone. Like comedy, tennis is brutally competitive, and most people lose at it. Unlike comedy, no one in tennis puts a gun on the table as they count out your earnings in twenty-dollar bills at the end of the night.
And then there are the things that have more to do with what happens to you—and what you end up learning—as part of growing up. Topics include: how to properly discard an unwanted European hard-boiled egg, giving CPR to your dead grandpa, cringe-worthy “sex” in the Red Light District, crying so hard in a car that strangers call the cops, and also happy things like what it feels like when your dreams come true.
From misadventures in tennis to the humbling setbacks of comedy, Lucky Loser is a heart-filled story of making your own luck, the universal experience of failure, and the many ways in which we all inevitably lose on the way to success.
©2025 Michael Kosta (P)2025 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
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Inspiration, though, is contagious, and multiform
- By Darwin8u on 01-27-17
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Rafa
- By: Rafael Nadal, John Carlin
- Narrated by: Bernardo Cubria, Nicholas Guy Smith
- Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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What makes a champion? What does it take to be the best in the world at your sport? Rafael Nadal has the answers. In his memoir, written with award-winning journalist John Carlin, he reveals the secrets of his game and shares the inspiring personal story behind his success.
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Great insights on Nadal's life and on being a #1
- By Julian Cohen on 11-01-20
By: Rafael Nadal, and others
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Black Is the New White
- By: Paul Mooney, Dave Chappelle - foreword
- Narrated by: Tony Isabella
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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For more than 40 years—whether writing for Richard Pryor and Saturday Night Live or performing stand-up to sold-out crowds around the country—Paul Mooney has been provocative, incisive...and absolutely hilarious. His comedy has always been indisputably real and raw, reflecting race issues in America, and this fascinating, fearless new memoir continues that unapologetically candid tradition.
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Master Piece!! I loved every moment.
- By Amazon Customer on 04-27-21
By: Paul Mooney, and others
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A Champion's Mind
- Lessons from a Life in Tennis
- By: Pete Sampras, Peter Bodo
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Pete Sampras is arguably the greatest tennis player ever, a man whose hard-nosed work ethic led to an unprecedented number one world ranking for 286 weeks, and whose prodigious talent made possible a record-setting 14 Grand Slam titles. While his more vocal rivals sometimes grabbed the headlines, Pete always preferred to let his racket do the talking. Until now.
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Not As Strong As His Forehand
- By A. M. Dalessandro on 07-21-09
By: Pete Sampras, and others
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It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time
- The Worst TV Shows in History and Other Things I Wrote
- By: Bruce Vilanch
- Narrated by: Bruce Vilanch
- Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Bruce Vilanch is known as a go-to comedy writer for award shows, sitcoms, and top-heavy variety specials, but he has also been responsible for quite a few of the worst shows ever put on television—legendarily bad productions. It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time is a lifetime reflection of what Vilanch has experienced, learned, forgotten, dismissed, and embraced in decades of working in show business
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For show biz lovers
- By Sarasota on 03-07-25
By: Bruce Vilanch
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Spare Me
- By: Anthony Cumia, Johnny Russo - foreword
- Narrated by: Anthony Cumia
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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You won't want to miss the explosive insights and unfiltered perspective in legendary broadcaster Anthony Cumia’s latest book. In his much-anticipated second book, Spare Me, radio personality and podcaster Anthony Cumia returns, unleashing a scorching and unapologetic commentary that spans the spectrum from politics to entertainment, while sparing no particular individual deserving of his legendary wrath.
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great listen!
- By free thinker. on 02-19-25
By: Anthony Cumia, and others
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The Life and Loves of a He Devil
- By: Graham Norton
- Narrated by: Graham Norton
- Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Graham Norton has been entertaining audiences and having fun with some of the world's biggest stars for nearly 20 years. He is loved across the nation for his delight in the peculiar and for his ability to find humour and a common ground in all that life brings.
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Read if you want to laugh-cry...
- By Nelly Norrell on 08-21-15
By: Graham Norton
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Zen Tennis
- Playing in the Zone
- By: Bill Scanlon, Dr. Joseph Parent
- Narrated by: Dr. Joseph Parent, Bill Scanlon
- Length: 4 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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From the best-selling author of Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game and the tennis champion and world record holder of the Golden Set comes the most innovative and powerful book since The Inner Game of Tennis. Combining deep Eastern wisdom and practical tennis expertise, Zen Tennis will help you get out of your own way and into the zone.
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Satatosh
- By PS on 01-22-22
By: Bill Scanlon, and others
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Self-Sabotage
- And Other Ways I’ve Spent My Time
- By: Jeffery Self
- Narrated by: Jeffery Self
- Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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In in his debut book for adults, Jeffery Self invites listeners into his world, taking them through the usual foibles of gay adolescence, amplified in the vast wasteland of the American South and the odd characters who peopled it, from shoddy community theater productions to underage drinking with Broadway stars, from downtown comedy rooms to adventure-filled bedrooms.
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All stories, but no “so what”
- By Kyle Kung on 06-30-25
By: Jeffery Self
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Winning Ugly
- Mental Warfare in Tennis - Lessons from a Master
- By: Brad Gilbert, Steve Jamison
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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He's been called the best in the world at the mental game of tennis. Brad Gilbert's strokes may not be pretty, but looks aren't everything. He has beaten the tour's biggest names - all by playing his "ugly" game. Now, in Winning Ugly, Gilbert teaches recreational players how to win more often without necessarily even changing their strokes. The key to success, he says, is to become a better thinking player - to recognize, analyze, and capitalize. That means out-thinking opponents before, during, and after a match - forcing him or her to play your game.
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Tried and True
- By Professor Hardcore on 09-12-18
By: Brad Gilbert, and others
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Unstoppable
- My Life So Far
- By: Maria Sharapova
- Narrated by: Maria Sharapova
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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In 2004, in a stunning upset against the two-time defending champion Serena Williams, 17-year-old Maria Sharapova won Wimbledon, becoming an overnight sensation. Out of virtual anonymity, she launched herself onto the international stage. "Maria Mania" was born. Sharapova became a name and face recognizable worldwide. Her success would last: she went on to hold the number-one WTA ranking multiple times, to win four more Grand Slam tournaments, and to become one of the highest-grossing female athletes in the world.
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Unstoppable - But at what cost?
- By VFMAGator on 03-16-18
By: Maria Sharapova
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Champion Mindset
- Coach Yourself to Win at Life
- By: Patrick Mouratoglou
- Narrated by: Patrick Mouratoglou
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Superstar coach Patrick Mouratoglou knows what it takes to win. An international icon in the world of tennis, he coached Serena Williams for a decade at the height of her career. More recently he’s worked with top-seeded players including Coco Gauff, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Simona Halep, and Holger Rune. Now, in Champion Mindset, Mouratoglou distills his lifetime of coaching excellence into ten commandments that are applicable to achieving success in all aspects of life, not just the court.
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Not much here...
- By Ewing Family on 05-27-25
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The History of Sketch Comedy
- A Journey Through the Art and Craft of Humor
- By: Keegan-Michael Key, Elle Key
- Narrated by: Keegan-Michael Key
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Authors Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key build on the popularity of their 2022 Webby Award-winning podcast and delve deeper into the world of sketch, helped along with new essays created expressly for the book by comedy greats.
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Do NOT listen to this, unless...
- By CharlieSeymourJr on 06-13-25
By: Keegan-Michael Key, and others
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The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Audiobook)
- A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction
- By: The Writers of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart
- Narrated by: Jon Stewart
- Length: 3 hrs and 46 mins
- Abridged
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Jon Stewart, host of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning The Daily Show, and his coterie of patriots deliver a hilarious look at American government.
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If you love John Stewart you will love this!
- By Jim on 09-02-04
By: The Writers of The Daily Show, and others
Loving this!
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I loved in every chapter. Thanks Michael.
Best Tennis and Life book I’ve read in a while
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Great storyteller
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Good stories could've been funnier
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Two of my favorite things, tennis and comedy. I love this book. I love your family. Thank you for sharing your two… Three loves.
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The glimpse into the sprawling and difficult world of professional tennis was enlightening. It’s a fun ride because Kosta is unflinchingly candid about his flaws and screw ups, and unafraid to boast about the best moments. You come to realize that he worked hard to get this book right, and for me that was the overarching lesson. Hard work pays off. Self assessment and honest introspection is essential to finding one’s path. And an athlete’s awareness about how one can blow a big lead can become a comedian’s secret to maintaining his cool when the gig of a lifetime finally comes along.
Enjoyable, Honest, Funny and Unexpected
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Giggling through the grocery store.
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Honest and Hilarious
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Funny stories, good energy, uplifting book
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good listen
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