Who plays the players??

[knyvette]

Someone in our family asked a question nonme of us could answer.

Who pays the players' air fares and hotel bills etc as they travel the world playing in all these tournaments?? In the case of the top players it's not really an issue because they're made of money but.....it must be very expensive for the journeymen unless someone picks up the tabs.

[consafos]

They all pay their own way. So yes, outside of the top tier, making money on tour is a tall order. I don't know what the hard stats are, but I'd guess that it's a break even deal for many. Maybe you eek out a living at best.

In truth, almost all sports and entertainment works this way. We see the ones on tv and in other media who are super successful - Federer buying a jet to get his wife and twins around the world in - but the vast majority struggle financially. Mirrors the real world to a large degree. You know that old thing about 90% of the wealth being in 10% of the hands...

It's specific to the music industry, but Steve Albini wrote this great piece breaking it down when a band signs a big contract with a label...we all think they're rich...but... http://www.ram.org/ramblings/philosophy/fmp/albini.html

The dynamics for a tour player would be different, but the results are probably very similar. We probably earn more money at the end of the year with our 9-5 gigs.

[ccm]

That reminds me - has anyone seen this docu about tennis journeymen? It might have some insight.

EDIT: btw, love your Donk quote, consafos! Yes, he is such a sparkling wit.

[louise]

I saw it on Tennis Channel. Guys kinda begging for wildcards into the doubles qualies, sharing rooms at the Motel 6. The life is not glamorous for most of the players.

[knyvette]

Thanks, everybody, that's rather what I feared...

[knyvette]

A a footnote to this thread, I was listening to Greg Rusedski and Annabel Croft chatting about Roger Federer and his new family on Sky Sports this evening and Greg happened to mention that Roger was staying in a hotel in New York where his room costs $3000 a night....

But I guess Roger isn't a journeyman!

[ccm]

^^
I'm guessing that, ironically, the top earning players have a lot of stuff comp'd as well.

Jesse Witten talked a bit in his presser about life among the lower echelon:

Q. You said even on the court that you were talking about retirement earlier this year. Now is that completely out the window, or are you thinking, Now that I've done this, this proves that I should keep going?
JESSE WITTEN: It makes me want to keep playing. It gives me some money to keep playing. So now I can afford to keep playing for the rest of the year, at least.

Yeah, hopefully it gives me some opportunities to keep playing. I love tennis. I love competing. It's a tough lifestyle obviously when you're in the lower levels. Traveling you're by yourself a lot. You're in random places usually alone. Sometimes a coach, some guys you know.

It's a lonely sport when you're down there trying to grind your way up. It's mentally very challenging. I think it's helped me out this week being a long week and a half or whatnot with all the fans and all the adversity. I hope that helps me. I hope I can keep playing.

Q. Can you tell us just a little bit on the financial piece, do you have like a clothing sponsor? A shoe sponsor? A racquet provider and all that?
JESSE WITTEN: Yeah, I have racquets. I got Wilson. I've had them since I was 13, 14. They've helped me out tremendously. I was with Nike and actually right the week before I got here actually the day before qualifying started I got cut, because well, my contract was up, so I knew it was kind of coming with the times. A lot of people kind of got cut back. That never feels very good. But, I mean, it makes me try to prove to some people that I could wear some clothes.

No comment on that last bit.