Tennis book for beginners: Mudri x Prof. Kim Tennis Master Class

What is Mudri x Prof. Kim Tennis Master Class about?

Mudri x Prof. Kim Tennis Master Class (머드리×김교수 테니스 마스터 클래스) is a tennis guidebook written together by coach Lee Hyung-taik and Professor Kim Tae-woong. It came out on May 28, 2026 from The Korea Economic Daily and Seongsuyeong jeo Magazine & Book, at 368 pages. I'd describe it as a tennis bible for every tennis player from Coach Lee, and the best guidebook out there.

The authors: coach Lee Hyung-taik and Professor Kim Tae-woong

Coach Lee Hyung-taik is a legend of Korean tennis! He was picked for the national team despite a tough environment and stood on the world stage, winning 2 gold medals 🏅 at the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games and the 2006 Doha Asian Games. He competed in the Olympics 4 times or more, and in 2003 he achieved the historic feat of becoming the first Korean to win a singles title at the ATP Tour Adidas International! Since retiring he has worked as a coach, serving as head of the Lee Hyung-taik Tennis Academy and director of the Orion Junior Tennis Court, and he runs the YouTube channel [MudLee] Lee Hyung-taik TV, staying in direct touch with amateur players.

Professor Kim Tae-woong is a language education specialist who has taught ESL and Korean as a foreign language (KFL) in corporate training for over 14 years. Drawing on 14 years of playing tennis in the US, he wrote the book with Coach Lee, and he also coaches a tennis team for children with disabilities.

Why tennis beginners need this book

More people play tennis as a hobby these days, but it's still a sport with a high barrier to entry. The terms are hard, I don't know the rules, and starting out feels overwhelming. Which racket should I use? What gear is there? I think many people come in drawn by cute tennis outfits and then hit a wall of difficulty.

So for tennis beginners who want to really understand the sport and approach it with a strategy that suits them, I'm introducing Mudri x Prof. Kim Tennis Master Class. Written by education specialist Professor Kim Tae-woong and Korean tennis legend Coach Lee Hyung-taik, it starts with core tennis terms and gives each chapter its own topic, so the sections are nicely divided and easy even for a beginner to follow.

How is the table of contents organized?

Endorsements

Chung Hyeon!!! There are recommendations from favorite tennis players, so how could I not read them?!

Prologue

Chapter 1: Rackets — the basics that make you play like a pro

Chapter 1 covers what a tennis beginner needs to know, such as the basic parts of a racket and which racket head size is a good choice.

Chapter 2: How many types of tennis court are there?

Chapter 2 explains the types of tennis courts in detail, with photos. Having the photos alongside the explanations made it easier to understand. It also goes into detail about what playing styles each court type creates.

Chapter 3: Why are they called forehand and backhand?

Chapter 3 deals with the main techniques you need as you learn tennis. Once you've picked up basic terms and court knowledge in the earlier chapters, this one lays out the key shots in an easy-to-follow way for beginners like me who have heard of the forehand, volley and approach shot but don't really know the details.

Chapter 4: Does tennis gear really make a difference?

Once you've got the techniques down, Chapter 4 introduces the main training equipment so you can take your tennis up a level. From basic tennis shoes to grip enhancers, it covers basic training methods for building skills with this gear.

Chapter 5: What do ATP 250, 500 and 1000 mean?

You can't play a match without knowing the rules. Chapter 5 explains how tennis tournaments work. After following along with basic terms, court types, techniques and training with gear, you get the tournament rules plus an introduction to the 4 Grand Slam tournaments, which sparks even more interest in tennis.

As a tennis beginner I often look up tennis matches on YouTube, and after reading Chapter 5 I could enjoy watching them even more.

Chapter 6: Match strategies for leveling up

The final chapter starts with how to set your mindset and strengthen your mental game as someone who loves tennis, then offers points for real matches that are useful to beginners and can also fill in the gaps for intermediate and advanced club players. It also includes strategies you can try in actual play, so it should help you improve.

What special sections does each chapter include?

Every chapter of Mudri x Prof. Kim Tennis Master Class has corners like a global tennis match conversation section, which Professor Kim learned in real play over 14 years of tennis, and Mudri's Legend Episodes, so it was fascinating to read. You can hear moments in the person's own voice, including the match where he beat Ferrero at the 2003 Sydney Adidas Cup to become the first Korean to win an ATP Tour title, so you can feel the lively fun of it.

Built on Coach Lee's 40 years of experience setting records on the world stage and his experience coaching amateur players, the book packs in advice you won't hear anywhere else, so I think any tennis player would be fine owning a copy.

Bonus chapter: Lee Hyung-taik's top 3 tips for amateur players

A tennis beginner's thoughts after reading the book

Mudri x Prof. Kim Tennis Master Class is well sorted by chapter so you can build up from the basics to getting better, so I introduced it chapter by chapter, flowing along with the table of contents. I felt it's a must-have for tennis beginners, and as I keep learning tennis, I think it will be a reliable coach by my side whenever I hit difficulties.

I'd been thinking tennis was a really hard sport because my skills weren't improving over time, and then I met Mudri x Prof. Kim Tennis Master Class, a tennis lesson in one book. It became the book that showed me the joy of tennis again just when I wanted to give up. My husband says tennis is more fun because it's hard, and I'll keep Coach Lee's book close and try to make that harder-but-more-enjoyable tennis my own.

It's a brand-new release and I was genuinely happy to read all of it, glad that such a useful book for tennis players has been born. I gently recommend it.