The lonely life of a tennis player

Is he journeyman?

Conor has recently published a book called "The Racket" which I've been reading. Excellent writer and very funny book, despite the themes it explores. I think it will become a very popular book!

R2, the article at OP "is an edited extract from The Racket: On Tour with Tennis’s Golden Generation – and the other 99% by Conor Niland, published by Sandycove and available at guardianbookshop.com".

The inequality in tennis is shocking. People think they're all living some kind of high life but that's really just the Top 50.

An example off the top of my head would be the British player Marcus Willis who hit the headlines years back by reaching the second round of Wimbledon and playing against Roger Federer. He was bricklaying between tournaments to pay the bills.

Recent film Challengers touched on this with a player not being able to afford a hotel room and ending up sleeping in his car until he receives his players cheque.

Then you have the almost unimaginable wealth of the top players.

He was hot when he was playing and still very handsome today.

That’s all.

Thanks OP, I just ordered his book.

OnlyFans, anyone?

I’d make him feel less lonely.

I'd still hit it

This guy comes across so smart and self-aware. I hope that he's found some degree of peace in his life.

If anyone's read the book, can they fill out more details? Is he married (I assume he's straight). Kids? Some kind of life today?

Muchael Kosta, of The Daily Show, once was a pro tennis player. In his last full year of being a pro, his W2 for that year showed earnings of $300.00 P

R10 here's your belated answer: Yes, he is married, to a woman, with kids. He now works in retail property, which is, to put it mildly, a money-spinner in Ireland right now.

There's a really sad line in the book where Niland writes something like 'there's a bet that successful tennis players make that means giving up your childhood for a chance to get to the top. Unfortunately, unsuccessful players also make this bet'. Niland didn't quit school at 16 to go on the tour full-time though, like Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray. Instead, he got a tennis scholarship to a posh boarding school in England and then got an English degree from Berkeley while playing college tennis, so he did somewhat prepare a plan B. Breaking into the top 100 was always a near-impossible task as an Irish player however: apart from one guy who only took Irish citizenship at age 30 (and represented the US before that) no Irish player has done it.

According to 'World Atlas', which sounds legit, the top 5 most popular sports globally are (Association) Football, Cricket, Hockey, Tennis, and Volleyball.

There's no official world 129 in Football but that level of player would be playing in the top flight in England, Italy, Spain, or Germany, and would earn at minimum well into six figures. The 100th ranked batsman according to the ICC rankings plays for England and Surrey, and will likely also be earning six figures. I would suspect it's a similar picture in hockey.

By comparison, tennis players get screwed. Guess that's what happens when you are self-employed and don't play a team sport.

Oh yeah R10, and he's also Ireland's Davis Cup Captain, so he doesn't hold too much of a grudge against the sport.

I have a cousin who is trying to play golf professionally. He’s been at it for years.

You would think watching tournaments it would be a cool life (at least while you are young-ish), but no.

He’s good compared to most people, but not when you consider pros. He gets no sponsors, sleeps in his car, and is broke most of the time. If you aren’t in the top 50 nationally, you are in for a hard life.

Damn, that was dreary.

Sounds obvious maybe, but tennis is an individual sport and therefore about STAHS. Similar to acting. A few are iconic and making millions because, frankly, they are awe-inspiring to watch. Everyone else is there for them to play against, but not upstage. And the best matches are between two big stars.