Tennis is a sport for the rich": Thiem denounces a harsh reality of the circuit

Dominic Thiem delivered a striking testimony about the economic reality of tennis. Between exorbitant training costs and losses on prize money, the Austrian describes a sport "reserved for the wealthy."

One year ago, Dominic Thiem retired at home during the Vienna tournament. The former world No. 3 has kept a low profile since then, but he spoke out this Monday to discuss the cost of a professional career in the world of tennis.

It was on the Jot Down Sport podcast that the 2020 US Open winner addressed this topic:

"Tennis is a sport for the rich, and you realize this from a very young age. Training, for example, is very expensive. I can tell you that between ages 13 and 18, you need to pay between 80,000 and 100,000 euros per year, which amounts to nearly one million euros total - a sum that nobody can afford.

When I started climbing the rankings, I wasn't interested in money or understanding how it worked, I just wanted to be financially secure throughout my career.

The first round at Wimbledon allows you to earn 65,000 pounds, but you lose more than 60% of it. You first have to deduct taxes from the country where you're playing, which are taken from the prize money, then taxes from your own country, and finally expenses related to your team.

When you're among the top three or five players, you make significant earnings and benefit from advantageous offers, but if you drop in the rankings, you can suffer heavy financial losses.

Contracts with sponsors include a fixed annual amount plus bonuses, but if you drop in the rankings or get injured, these amounts drop significantly.