Todd Ley

Todd Ley, once the world’s top Junior tennis player at just 12 years of age, the youngest athlete ever signed by IMG and an inmate at the renowned Bollettieri tennis academy has been making a racket in the tennis scene since he was a toddler.

In his book SMASHED: Prodigies, parents and parasites, Todd exposes not just the experience of child athletes, but also the devastating ramifications it can lead to in adulthood.

From a youth in the sporting prodigy spotlight to family collapse, bankruptcy, alcoholism, and mental health struggles, Todd has recognised a disturbing pattern among other athletes who fall short of glory. However, Todd’s lived experience of being broken into a thousand pieces has also given him the chance to reassemble himself into something new.

Raw, real and not a fan of fake, Todd's able to channel his hard-earned wisdom into delivering unflinching truths about the sport of tennis. With the game being a source of untapped comedy that is rife for laughs, Todd is currently working on a dark comedy TV show titled ‘Tennis parent’. While some might call Todd ‘controversial’, others call him ‘refreshing’. The ball is in your court to decide for yourself.