anybody in the top 100 has a great job, especially when you look at the big picture. Just think about how shitty your life could actually be and flying around playing tennis and making 100 grand a year sounds pretty good to me.

get down below 200 or so and it may be different, but it could certainly be a hell of a lot worse and I hope most players realize that.

 

Jill Craybas, currently ranked #157 in singles and #90 in doubles has won US$95,000 in prize money in 2012 only. Not a bad paycheck AT ALL for less than 8 months of continous journeywomaning

If you are ranked in the top 200 and just a decent doubles player you are safe. Plus you have all your daily expenses paid (food and luxury lodgin) if you go and play WTA mainly as Jill does so a smart scheduling also helps.

 

Jill

If you are ranked in the top 200 and just a decent doubles player you are safe. Plus you have all your daily expenses paid (food and luxury lodgin) if you go and play WTA mainly as Jill does so a smart scheduling also helps.

Not true

 

If a player make $100,000 a year, and it cost her more than 75% on various expenses, then surely it would be pointless her playing? (Unless she has a sponsor and they pay a lot of expenses). I think doubles is like working overtime, it means you can earn more money, although you have to put in more hours. I wonder, how many players look on it as purely nothing more than we would our job?

It's like most sports, we 'the audience' tend just to see the high points, rather than the daily hours of laborious training, travelling etc. Yes, if I could swap what I do for the tennis life and get the rewards that many get I would. Then again, I think sometimes we can overlook how dedicated it takes you to be to be a top athlete.

I read/hear one time that a ATP player (Ferrer,maybe?) was always moaning and complaining and his father who was/is his coach took him next day to work on a building site. And he/Ferrer laughed and never complained again. Or, so the story goes.

 

What happened to the thread about the players who were so desperate for a cheap place to crash they ended up sleeping in a brothel?

My guess is if you're budget is that limited you're hardly living a glamorous lifestyle. It seems like a lot of players living on the low end of the rung share rooms and do other things to cut expenses.

I know that for the Dallas ATP event (held at a very nice Four Seasons hotel) a lot of the low-ranked players were staying in a nearby La Quinta (a budget motel--not the pits, but hardly a Four Seasons) and walking to the venue to save money. I think some events are more generous on comping rooms and stuff than others.

The irony of the meritocracy of tennis is that the players who need the comped rooms least are the most likely to get them--the Marthas, Serenas, Vikas and Petras of the world a lot of time get stuff gratis so they'll show up and play while the women who are just making ends meet have to pay for stuff, because the reality is the fans come to see the Marthas, Serenas, Vikas and Petras.

I know from talking to people who never made the big time that on the USTA circuit which events you play is often determined by where you have friends you can crash with and how far and how fast you can drive.

 

What happened to the thread about the players who were so desperate for a cheap place to crash they ended up sleeping in a brothel?

My guess is if you're budget is that limited you're hardly living a glamorous lifestyle. It seems like a lot of players living on the low end of the rung share rooms and do other things to cut expenses.

I know that for the Dallas ATP event (held at a very nice Four Seasons hotel) a lot of the low-ranked players were staying in a nearby La Quinta (a budget motel--not the pits, but hardly a Four Seasons) and walking to the venue to save money. I think some events are more generous on comping rooms and stuff than others.

The irony of the meritocracy of tennis is that the players who need the comped rooms least are the most likely to get them--the Marthas, Serenas, Vikas and Petras of the world a lot of time get stuff gratis so they'll show up and play while the women who are just making ends meet have to pay for stuff, because the reality is the fans come to see the Marthas, Serenas, Vikas and Petras.

I know from talking to people who never made the big time that on the USTA circuit which events you play is often determined by where you have friends you can crash with and how far and how fast you can drive.

Sadly, that's the way life is almost everywhere. For example, a restaurant owner would refuse to give a homeless and hungry person some food to eat. Yet the second a big celebrity/multi-millionaire walks to the door, "everything on the house."

This is what you call the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

 

I think that it takes a lot of sacrifices to do this job but,if successful, one can live a great adventure. I think that this kind of career helps to shape people's character which can help later on in life. Many players who never got to the elite made a lot of money thanks to coaching.

 

In the end no one is forcing them to play tennis. They could go to school, get a degree and struggle "less" like "normal people" do...

 

^Agree. And it's obviously more fun than being office plankton. For those who love fun, ofc.

 

And then there are taxes. Twice..

 

What many people forget is that you don't really know that you will be in the Top 100. You can have a idea about your potential, but the actually been there is a whole another story. That's what I think is the toughest part of been a professional individual athlete (not just in Tennis). And the large majority of them fail at it. We only hear the good stories like Vika's or Maria's, but imagine how many gave everything they had and had not the opportunity to play the MD of Slam even once?

 

However, I am wondering if anyone knows how much does it actually cost to travel the world just to compete?

A few articles on this topic:

http://fit-to-hit.org/2011/11/annual-cost-of-touring-on-the-professional-tennis-circuit/

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2009/09/service_job.html


http://thetennistimes.com/costs-of-being-a-pro-tennis-player-complete-breakdown/

 

I suppose if you play until you're 30 but make no real money to be able to retire from all work after it must be a bit like those people who spend their 20s traveling the world, going from place to place, scraping a living to enjoy a big adventure and then eventually they go back home after 10 or so years of doing that to find a proper job.

 

Stakhovski gave a little more insight during an interview, it was posted with translation in GM before:

:lol::lol:

Sergei Stakhovskyi explained just for you all this in details:

http://sport.lb.ua/tennis/2012/04/04/144337_sergey_stahovskiy_bolshie.html

i will try to translate

I: Tennis has become more athletic, and aged players, in theory, can not maintain a specified schedule . For instance 33-year-old Stepanek, who you admired four years ago.

S.S.:In fact, tennis has become more wise. And players who are high in the ranking, can afford all the neccessary: coach, coach of the general physical preparation (GPP), or physical therapist. A majority of players who are just trying to break into the top 100, do not have this capability.

I: And among what group of players are you?

SS: I am among self-sustaining, and in recent years, remaining in the "plus".

I Well, yes, i guess it is complicated to get in the minus....

SS Really? I do not think so.

I Thus, Davydenko was right for complaining that the reward for taking part in the first round of the Masters in Indian Wells does not reimburse expenses for travel and accommodation?

SS They did not pay off. I'm in the "minus" after the Masters in Indian Wells and Miami. About five thousands USD. And this is despite the fact that in Indian Wells I reached the second round.

I But what about the rumors that in USA tennis player can get a full range of services for a small sum of money?

SS It works in certain places only. And in the mentioned Indian Wells there are no cheap hotels in principle. The cheapest room cost $ 144 per day. A tax on the prize - 38%. You arrive at least four days before the beginning of tournament. You stay in America at least three and a half weeks. You pay the coach - weekly salary, meals, hotel. If you have two of them - one more salary, food etc. As for flight? From Europe to America, across the country, and vice versa - is at least two thousand euros per person. And there I earned a net of about $ 11 thousand

I Do you have a permanent coach?

SS Permanent. In addition, my general physical preparation coach flew to me. What is more, there is a physical therapist in my managing company who travels with several players at once.

I Federer went to Dubai, originally he was not going there, What was the reason for him to go?

SS Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray - is generally a separated world. Earnings of this quartet are not comparable with the others. We simply do not exist in comparison with them.
Players who are not in the top 20, do not get any money, except for the reward on tournaments. Contracts, clothes - all this belongs to the representatives of the top 5 or top 10. I found myself at the time when all the big brands have already realized that you need only pay top players, all the rest - are free.

I But when I look at the numbers it is seems to me that you win one match - you can buy a car

SS By the numbers, I am a millionaire. But I have already talked about the costs that I bear.

I What is to fly not business class, but lowcosts?

SS Any lowcosts to Dubai? really? This year I'm flying "economy class." Flight from London to Dubai and back cost me 1200 euros. And we're not able to buy tickets in advance. In addition, the cheapest tickets can not be returned. Often we take it on the day of departure. And it is for quite different price.
I spent a year 170 thousand euros (245 000 USD) on "The game costs." Last year, only on tickets I spent 85 thousands Eur. And I earned $ 428 thousand , from this sum i payed about 30% for taxes.

I: But money will never spoil you, will it?

Yes, but I am devoting all my life to the sport . I am skipping studies, friends,....... I have a family. If I, for instance, suppose retirement from sport in 32 years, even if I manage to gain 500 thousand euros in net, i will have to live with it the rest of my life. And the name "Stakhovsky" in my country for sure is not going to give me any more profit

 

The French Tennis Magazine had some reports on retired journey(wo)men and they pretty much said you can do nothing for a year after your retirement but you have to work afterwards. If you saved some money, it's a really comfortable lifestyle.

 

You have to be ranked 120 to break even. That's based on you qualifying or making the main draw at all Grand Slams.

Remember all prize money is taxed, in some cases twice.

 

Wonder How Tough it is for Junior Tennis Player too Travel

 

Eevery time i see this thread, i see a thread about so and so retiring, and i think it should really be titled

UNprofessional players