The exhilarating, disturbing and darkly comic spiral of a sad dad's increasingly unhinged obsession with tennis.

Since losing his job, Ned's sole responsibility has been to look after his six-year-old son while his wife works. When he one day finds his old tennis racquet buried in the garage, he also unearths a part of his former self. On a whim, and without his wife's knowledge, Ned rejoins his former tennis club - and finds life outside the realm of domesticity. He becomes the captain of a local men's team, reconnects with his old partner, former tennis-prodigy Roland, and commits himself body and soul to building a winning team. But when Roland disappears, Ned's search for his friend threatens not only the path to glory, but his relationship with his son, his marriage, and his mind.
A meditation on fathers and sons, male friendship, and the all-consuming thrill of competing and winning, Dad Had a Bad Day is wincingly funny and addictive - and, ultimately, poignant and quietly heartbreaking.

'A funny, moving, often disturbing portrait of men . . . filled with strange detail, bold swerves, and the idiosyncratic language of sport.' - Kathryn Scanlan, author of Kick the Latch

'No one writes about masculinity and community like Ashton Politanoff . . . Authenticity is evident beneath the dark comedy of the team dynamics, sharply observed dialogue, and exploration of one man's intoxication with his own potential.' - Lucie Elven

Details

ISBN13: 9781917092883
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 296
Edition:
Publication Date: 27 Oct 2026
Publisher: Daunt Books
Publication City, Country: United Kingdom
Dimensions (cm): 19.8(H)x12.9(L)
Weight (gm):

Author Biography

Ashton Politanoff is a frequent contributor to NOON, edited by Diane Williams. His writing has also appeared in Southwest Review, Conjunctions, New York Tyrant, Egress, and elsewhere. He is a former division I tennis player and his childhood coach was Robert Lansdorp, who is credited with coaching Pete Sampras, Tracy Austin, and Maria Sharapova. Politanoff's first novel, You'll Like It Here was published by Dalkey Archive. He is an English Professor at Cypress College.

Reviews