Alizé Cornet teases book cover as debut novel is set to hit book shelves

The Alizé Cornet book club is ready for its second installment as the 2022 Australian Open quarterfinalist revealed her copy of La Valse des Jours, her debut novel.

“Perhaps my most beautiful trophy,” Cornet tweeted. “Two weeks before publication!”

The book cover describes the novel as “a family saga in homage to the women in my life.”

Where Cornet’s first book, Transcendence: Diary of a Tennis Addict, was a memoir translated into English in 2021, La Valse des Jours represents the French star’s first foray into fiction.

“Writing is a way for me to express myself, especially when I was going through tough times or not feeling happy on tour, which was unfortunately quite often,” she explained last summer.

“I didn’t feel like I belonged to the tour in the beginning, like this world was very solitary and alone.”

The prolific athlete-turned-prolific author credited Transcendence for helping usher in a reevaluation of her career among fans, some of whom had previously found her on-court emotions polarizing.

“The best feedback was from people who told me that I wasn’t a player they ever liked but now they love me because of my book!”

On tour since 2005, Cornet hit a long-awaited milestone in Melbourne, where she reached her first major quarterfinal after 63 major main-draw appearances.

“I told myself that this could be my last season, that's true,” she said after overcoming Simona Halep in three sets to make it into the last eight. “I don't know if it's helping, I don't know if it's just the work that is paying off. I don't know. When I'm on the court I feel good. I feel good outside the court, I feel good on the court.”