3 ms·

Vox had a video a few months ago, "Why most tennis players struggle to make a living": * https://www.vox.com/videos/2023/9/12/23870760/tennis-wages-sports-perf

Vox had a video a few months ago, "Why most tennis players struggle to make a living": * https://www.vox.com/videos/2023/9/12/23870760/tennis-wages-sports-performance-pay https://www.vox.com/videos/2023/9/12/23870760/tennis-wages-s... One anecdote: one ranked player made more money restringing other players's rackets than actually competing.

jakub_g 2y ago
From the original article in the thread: > Those “rich fucks” kept Johnny on the road, mind, as he offered a racket-stringing service to players. Johnny has claimed he’s the only player ever to make a consistent living on the Futures tour, and he kept overheads low, running the school bus on vegetable oil. More recently, he has been making YouTube videos about “extreme couponing”, where he lists the great savings he has made on his weekly grocery shop.
optimalsolver 2y ago
Is it true that "You're not worthy to restring my racket" is a popular insult in tennis circles?
- ore0s 2y ago
  Nope, this isn’t Downton Abbey. The further you go in competitive tennis, the tighter the community gets. Also, playing tennis and stringing rackets are two distinct skillsets. For elite players the strings are just as crucial as the racket itself. Check out this interview with the stringer who traveled the globe with Federer for 15 years, ensuring he had nine freshly strung rackets for each match. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sRSqSupzyM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sRSqSupzyM
carabiner 2y ago
Most olympians too, even medalists: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2020/02/24/survey-finds-olympic-elite-athletes-struggling-financially/111365842/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2020/02/24/su... Once at Mammoth in the locker room, I overheard a family mentioning how they bought US olympic ski team jackets from the olympians themselves.
- piuantiderp 2y ago
  My HS coach was an Olympic medalist.

jakub_g 2y ago

From the original article in the thread: > Those “rich fucks” kept Johnny on the road, mind, as he offered a racket-stringing service to players. Johnny has claimed he’s the only player ever to make a consistent living on the Futures tour, and he kept overheads low, running the school bus on vegetable oil. More recently, he has been making YouTube videos about “extreme couponing”, where he lists the great savings he has made on his weekly grocery shop.

optimalsolver 2y ago

Is it true that "You're not worthy to restring my racket" is a popular insult in tennis circles?

ore0s 2y ago
Nope, this isn’t Downton Abbey. The further you go in competitive tennis, the tighter the community gets. Also, playing tennis and stringing rackets are two distinct skillsets. For elite players the strings are just as crucial as the racket itself. Check out this interview with the stringer who traveled the globe with Federer for 15 years, ensuring he had nine freshly strung rackets for each match. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sRSqSupzyM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sRSqSupzyM

carabiner 2y ago

Most olympians too, even medalists: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2020/02/24/survey-finds-olympic-elite-athletes-struggling-financially/111365842/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2020/02/24/su... Once at Mammoth in the locker room, I overheard a family mentioning how they bought US olympic ski team jackets from the olympians themselves.

piuantiderp 2y ago
My HS coach was an Olympic medalist.