3. NOT QUITE AS IT SEEMS

So, your child wants to be a pro tennis player? “Great” I hear you cry! An opportunity to travel the world and make good money playing a sport that they love. 

But hang on! Is it really that easy!? For sure, the rewards for those that ‘make it’ are plentiful, but how tough is the journey to get there? Well, read on for a few things to think about. 

First of all, there is the ‘small issue’ of money. As I have said previously (Blog 2: “The Other Side of the Coin”), pro tennis costs money, and a lot of it. Only the top players (c.top 100) actually make money and this is largely from product endorsements as opposed to prize money. The reality is that until you reach at least 250 in the world (singles), you cannot even break even. The costs involved are astronomical. 

Secondly, is it safe? Why ask this you might say, but it’s a good question and one that has to be asked. On the whole, the answer is yes, or at least as safe as many other ‘jobs’ that involve extensive travel. Sometimes however, it is certainly not safe. I think back to a tournament in Buenos Aires. Sounds very glamourous – a tournament in the capital of Argentina. However, on arrival, my player and I discovered that the tournament venue was not only a 25-minute drive outside of the city, but that it was located within the infamous San Lorenzo Football Stadium complex which itself is situated in a suburb controlled entirely by drug cartels. Even the police do not enter the area – choosing instead to locate themselves at various check points around the border of the district. There was limited transport to and from the tournament venue to the hotel so there had to be a degree of reliance on local taxis but few taxi drivers were prepared to take us to the club as they feared mugging. Similarly, on the second day of the tournament, the women players had to be scheduled to play very early as they were advised to be ‘off site’ by 11am as there was a football match taking place later that day and the site was not deemed safe for women. 

Now clearly this example is one of the rarer situations a tennis player might expect to find themselves in but there is no hiding from the fact that the lower level (ITF Pro) tournaments are not always staged in particularly pleasant locations so much homework is required before a commitment to play is made. 

Another issue of safety that needs to be considered is the geographical location of the tournament in question and the risk of natural disasters. During my travels to date, I have already experienced two earthquakes – the first in Equador and the second in Chile. Now fortunately, my player and I were safe but having the furniture in your hotel room visibly move is somewhat alarming and unfamiliar! 

Similarly, whilst competing in the US, my player was staying with a host family when quite unexpectedly she was advised to move away from the windows and relocate herself within the house as a tornado was heading their way. Thankfully for her, tornadoes can be quite specific with their targets and it hit the road running parallel to where she was but she was able to watch it as it passed through and again it was an unfamiliar and somewhat unsettling sight!

On a similar vein, there is also the issue of political unrest. Whilst in both Brazil and Israel, my player (and I) have witnessed political rallies and for my player, much more extreme, has seen the inside of a bomb shelter whilst caught in the crossfire of the dispute between the Israelis and the Palestinians, which flared up overnight and was totally unexpected.

Slightly less extreme, there is also the issue of prize money. What do you do if you do well and win the tournament and are paid entirely in cash? Again whilst in Argentina, my player won the doubles but then had to travel to the next venue with an envelope full of local currency. Not only did she fear for her personal safety but she had the added problem of having to find a way of converting the Argentinian pesos (of which there were many – it was over 100 Arg Peso to the US $1 at the time) into a more universal currency which she could leave the country with and which was easier to hide on her person.

Now obviously these are extreme examples and much of the travel undergone by tennis players in pursuit of their sport is indeed safe! However, it is not to be assumed or taken lightly. 

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