Q & A I Want to be a Pro 

Q.I am a 13-year-old girl from Pakistan and want to be a pro. At the moment i do not have any court to play on but only a wall. Initially my mom says that she’ll let me attend tennis camps a few months later. I need to know about how long should I prepare myself for the camps so that i still have a chance to become a pro. By the way i try to jog for about an hour. Tell me also about my diet.   

A.Try to find a tennis club with a junior program. Once you put 

yourself up against other kids with the same dreams things get much clearer. Go 

and enjoy school and learn the things that you will need in life and maybe on 

the tour like math and languages geography etc. play as much as you can. As for 

the camps, I think that's great just eat well exercise well, be happy and who 

knows where a bit of work can take you. good luck Brad 

Q.Hi... I started playing tennis not 2 weeks ago with my brother and his gf (she has been playing 4 years) she says it seem like I have a natural talent for tennis but I am very worried I am slightly under the height of average male (5,4 and 15 years old male)... I really loved tennis but I am slightly confused if height has anything to due considering all pro or semi-pro tennis players I have met or seen are just giant towers with arms..... I’ve been to doctors predict 5,7-5,11 will be destined height but I am afraid the height will demolish any chance at attempts to go pro.. 

A. Don't underestimate what it takes to become a pro athlete/tennis pro. On average it takes 

10 years at 3 hours a day to achieve elite level with no guarantees + injuries + equipment + 

finance to get traveling (approx $40 000 usd per year) very tough right. Go to school and 

do well and enjoy your tennis, do well in tournaments and then re-asses. good luck  

Q.Hi Brad, I have great respect for your vast amount of tennis experience and hopefully you will be gracious enough to see where I’m at and answer some of my questions. Well first off I am 16 and I have been playing tennis for 7 months. I have become hooked and have surprised myself with the amount of talent I have in the sport. I have started to get more serious with my future in tennis with the potential I have found for myself in tennis. I have worked very hard to get where I am and have been getting private lessons since I started with a pro in my area. I have also spent much time hitting with a ball machine playing with my dad who is a 4.5 player in singles. My dad is right behind me supporting me in my tennis future. I am starting to develop the components for a complete game in tennis. 

Recently I have made the number 1 j.v. singles spot on my high school team. Basically I have been taught the right way and have the foundation to build on. My plan is to surround myself with the game of tennis even more than I have and over the summer, enter every single tournament possible through usta. (I will be attending a nike tennis camp for three weeks over the summer as well.) I know I may be starting late but I have surprised myself and many people including my pro, think it looks like I have been hitting for five years. I have developed beautiful ground strokes and am working on improving all components of my game I have the athletic ability, talent, and drive to get as good as I possibly can and I think I can quickly make up for lost time and catch up to some of the varsity players that have been playing since they were 7. Since they've been playing for so long it seems like they are burnt out and don’t have the drive from playing so long. I feel I have the advantage because I want it badder than anyone else. I believe with the help of my coach, increasing potential, drive, hard work, and continuing practice on the court I can surpass them. My plan is to continue working on the components of my game by playing with more experienced players, training with my coach, and gaining match experience through tournaments and high school.  After high school if I am still not a level to play college tennis then my dad recommended taking a year to fully devote myself to tennis to become better while I attend a community college.   I am fully devoted to the newly found sport I have come to love and have high hopes for my tennis future and am fully committed to practice on the court as much as I have to. 

If you cannot tell, I am no bull, and I am very serious about tennis and I well push my body to its farthest physical capacity in order to achieve what I want. I know I have a lot of hard work ahead of me to accomplish, but if it all turns out better than I hope and I end up    playing at a d1 or d2 college level I would like to travel the world and play in tournaments internationally, maybe even earn money possibly? I know starting late that pro level is out of the picture but what is the highest level below pro? It would be so cool to travel and compete in tournaments internationally to Europe, Asia, or Australia or even compete in satellites. What do you think with your knowledge and experience in tennis? Do my dreams seem attainable or even reachable? Do I sound crazy? Feel free to fuel my fire. I know I have written a lot but any answers or advice is much appreciated. Thanks again –Blake    P.S. did you read the article at usta.com about the girl who started at 18 and ended up playing number 1 at a d1 school? It was truly inspiring. 

A., what an uplifting letter. You make me want to get back out there. Unfortunately it’s not that easy. It seems your doing all the right things to achieve your full potential but your story does beg the question why didn’t you start earlier? If your dads a 4.5 that's like an instant coach. I think if you keep going at this rate with the solid structure planed-out there is no question that you could reach d1-d2. There is no question that you could travel and play some cool tournaments and have some memories that will stay with you forever. There is no question that you could be a great teaching pro and could do quite well financially. Now the hard stuff. If you were ranked no 1 in the nation there is a no better than even chance of making the big time.  1 injury could end your career in the blink of an eye. It costs about 50 000 a year (conservative) to follow the circuit full time. About 0.8 kids in any given age group (in Australia) make it in the pros. If you made top 400 you would probably be loosing money. A bad doctor makes more than a decent pro.

Any way that's how I see it and your not the first person I've told. Follow a no frills well planed path and I’m sure your destination will show its self. good luck  

Q.Hi, Im living in Toronto, Canada. Im in grade 12 right now and need some help with a

research essay that I'm doing. my topic is on how to become a tennis professional player. I’ve been playing tennis for about 10 years now but it would be better to get info from a professional. I would like to know what type of education one needs in order to be a tennis player. How many years does it take to be a tennis player? After becoming a tennis player, how much money does the player make? will there be any tennis related jobs in the next ten years? How will becoming a tennis player affect my personal life? (Family, friends, kids.) Where can I get started? From since im going to university in couple of months. Is there anything else that I should know that is important or related to tennis? I appreciate your time and effort to please answer these questions. Thank you very much for your cooperation. 

A.Hi  I think I can give you a start.

Q.1 it takes approximately 10 years at 3 hours a day to reach a level of excellence.

Q.2 no education other than tennis however a couple of languages would be good and geography & math (for counting your prize money or how much money you have left. ( it cost about 50 k to play fool time most likely before you have won a cent.

Q.3 you are going to hardly break even if you are ranked under 500 atp. top 200 and your on about 100-200 a year.

Q.4 There are always administration jobs, coaching and travel opportunities.

Q.5 you would see your family for about six full weeks a year depending on the central area you will use as your base and how far that base is away from home.

Q.6 you could try to make the Uni team and play through the holidays.

Q.  I have a few questions... I am 14 years old a freshman in HS, and am a big tennis fan. I am on my school's freshmen team (not the best yet, but getting good). If I were to make #1 on my JV team,  would I be ready to  go out for at least a state ranking? Also, I really want to go out for a possible career in tennis on the pro circuit, if not just make it to semi pros... I’m willing to dedicate myself entirely; spending as much time as need (or more) playing.... do you think that it could work out?

A.  I think your looking at things sensibly. Start by getting into local tournaments. Ask a JV team-mate to play dubs. See how you go. Then re-evaluate. You can go after a state ranking as part of the plan. If you’re kidding yourself you will know rather soon. The other side of the story is that the quest is part of the fun. As for a Pro career I think you will know how things are going well before you have to make planes for that. Good luck and let me know how it goes. By Brad

Q.  Hi, I have just printed some of your stuff from the internet and am going to read it after Agassi's match. Today I won the 14/U girls at … which is about an hour from where I live in NSW. I was very happy with my game and the girls I played yesterday and today are ones who usually beat me at round robins so I was very happy. I have been playing since I was 6 I think and I have 3 lessons a week and I get up and go down to the courts at 6.30am on the mornings I have the lessons. I have some people from shops who will help me pay for more lessons too so that's what I'm gonna do this year plus I'm going to more tournaments this year so probably 1 a month. My coaches are very good and they help develop my technique and all that but the mental side and yoga they don't relly teach me so your articles will be good to read. I really want to work hard at tennis and get as far as I can. I am 13 and a half but I can hit the ball powerfully and I love volleys. We changed my serve a bit last week and now I feel heaps better about it. Even though I am a girl, I played night comp in Men's division 1 last year and loved it. So now I want to work on getting it all together so I can play at events. There's no acadamy or anything near here but Brisbane is only 4 hours away and Sydney is 7 or 8 hours aawy I think. I played at the little masters tournament in Sydney in the September holidays and went pretty good. I'm playing heaps better than then now though so I hope I go good this year. Do you have any really good advice for me? I talked to Geoff Rafter about what I should do next and he said to get onto Tennis Australia but Mum couldn't get hold of anyone last week. Anyway I will play more tournaments and get my points and my name up there so that will help. I LOVE TENNIS!!!!! and I want to learn heaps more on how to get "there" in the end. I hope you can reply to me or you could ring me on 02 66 432706  we don't go back to school until 2nd of February. That's all... I will go read now cos Agassi is finished now.
BYE!!!!!

A.  Well what a great positive letter. There are things you can do to improve your tennis outside of a tennis court and as I’m not there to see you play I will focus on these things. a) if there are people helping you to have lessons you are very very lucky and you should write them an official letter thanking them if you haven’t already. You should also keep them up to date of your progress with a small note once a month. Jot down key points during the month to tell them. It is very important to keep your sponsors informed.

b) Play lots of stratigy games. Chess, stratigo, backgammon.

c) Read as much as you can about tennis. Make the library find "winning ugly" brad Gilbert and read it.

d) Get fit. Do a triathlon for a bit of fun. Do the official fun runs. Let it be known that you take fitness seriously.

e) Watch tennis and try to get to see it live. It’s inspirational.

f) Rest. a famous player and one of the fittest says that rest is as important as work.

Q.  I have a question for you; I'm a 6.0 level college player in California Due to the fact that I took sometime off after high school I will at around 24/25 years old complete my College career .  Lately I've been thinking of going pro do you think that 25 is to late to pursue a tennis career. I started playing tennis around 10/11 years old on and off nothing to serious didn't come back to it seriously until 18 about 2years later became a open level player and was one of the top players on my tennis team. My coaches have told me I’m a natural tennis player. I'm wondering has this almost 10year break hurt my chances to go pro? Also I haven't been able to play allot of USTA tournaments outside of college tournaments I will have allot more time this year to dedicate myself to my game. I guess I wanted to get your opinion before I put so much time into my game. I feel I definitely have the ability but most players tend to turn pro at 16 am I to late? If I'm not what would you suggest I do to prepare myself for the big leap from College competition to Pro level competition? I've heard of other players turning pro pretty late but I don't know what they did really to make up for the delayed start. Like what types of tournaments to play and such to build up their ranking faster if possible. Thanks

A.  Hi, you could also ask, how big is a duck pond? This kind of question is only answerable by yourself and the results will surely spell it out for you if you are blinded by visions of stardom.  I would go play a couple of money tournaments.  If they carry 1000 us to win you can start to get the feel for the competition. If you do well go off and play some USTA satellite/futures tournaments with open qualies. By this time you’re either breaking even or its job time. You should be in the USA top 50 if you have a hope as a singles player in ATP and that’s being very generous. A little lower if you call yourself a dubs player. Then if you do go well you better have a really strong body and know how to look after it and don’t forget just one bad injury could mean surgery. Where's the money coming from. Full time tennis (including Europe) costs about 40000 per year expenses, give or take 10000. At 25 everything better go perfect or things could get ugly.  I hope I've been some help. cheers brad 

Q.  Hi, I’m 21 and really set on becoming a tennis coach, unfortunately I have no idea were to start. I've completed a National Diploma in Sports science and the first year of a degree course in the same field. I came across your web site and read your profile, I haven't and wont have the kind of experience in playing tennis that you have, but I do possess a love for the game and would like to make a career out of coaching people with a similar passion for the game. I have a little experience in coaching children with disabilities and really enjoyed it; however coaching tennis has always been a dream. You may be wondering why I’m telling you this! Well as I said I have no idea how to kick off my career and was hoping you might be able to give me some tips and ideas of how to get started. Thank you for your time and I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks again

A. Thanks for your e-mail. Enthusiasm goes a long way in tennis coaching so I have no doubt you will do well. Call the LTA and ask them how you can get in touch with your local chapter of the coaches association. Do a course then start making yourself available to coaches in your area. Sitting next to a court while a lesson is being conducted is a great way of getting or developing a style. Read a lot. "Winning ugly" by brad Gilbert would be "bible-like" for you. 

 Q.  I also have a question! I am from Germany but living in San Diego CA. I started to play tennis when I was 6 and I stopped when I was 16. From that time on I just played from time to time and one month ago I started serious again. I am playing every day at least 2 hours, I m doing weight training and my coach is a professional.  Anyways, I have 3 times a week training, I’ll try to get 2 times more+ I’m playing 4 x 2hour clinics + with friends... I came back pretty good and even improved already. My coach said I have potential. After that starting months my ranking according to my trainer is about 4.5.... I am playing for my college team. My question is probably the same as from anybody else too! I know I am too old to turn pro (24 years now) but what would be the furthest that I could ever go with my age in your opinion.  Well, the college plays nationals and I’ll play tournaments from USTA from august on... my goal was to become with my age a national single player! Thanks

A.  Hi Anne. Thanks for your mail. How far can you go? is that your question? If your a 4.5 then you are already a good player. Remember it is much harder to go from a 4.5 to a 4 than from a 5 to a 4.5 and so on. I don't really think you want me telling you how far you can go, why don't you just give it your best. Say give yourself 2 months after school finishes and play tournaments. This will usually bring to light where you are. Another thing is the better you get the less fun it is as you can always see the next level. ps Get second and third opinions as a bit of assurance. Great luck Brad

Q.  Hello,. I live in Birmingham, England and would be grateful for some of your advice. I took up tennis last summer and have been playing regularly with two club standard players since then. I have developed my game without coaching, but with the use of video, technique books and a great deal of trial and error.  It is my ambition to be a Tennis Coach and having visited your website I feel you are an ideal candidate to provide some advice on how i can go about this. I will be travelling to Ghana or South Africa in a few months as part of an organization’s volunteer scheme to provide coaching, and the opportunity to play, to those who might not otherwise experience it. I feel this will be a beneficial experience for me, as it will provide the opportunity to develop my own coaching style and technique. It is for when I return that I seek your advice. How did you first get into coaching? What qualifications did you require? Where did you first start coaching, i.e. club, tennis centre, schools or privately? Would the level at which I play affect either my abilities or opportunities to coach? Any advice or information you could provide would be greatly appreciated, I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks

A.  Hi Steve, Coaching is a strange profession in that you can be useful at many different levels from beginners to tournament players. I personally think that it is important to get your level up to a 6 on the international rating system to feel comfortable coaching. You see coaching people is easy; responsibility for what you teach is the hard bit.  I started coaching very young (13) helping my coach with the little ones (5-6). I then became a nationally ranked junior, and then ATP ranked and acquiring experience over a long time. Now (after my playing days) I have a full time coaching business.  I did my advanced level coaching course in Australia. (level 2 old speak) My advise to you is; Read a lot. Play a lot. Watch tennis a lot. Listen a lot. Think about it a lot contact your coaches association for courses I know that's a lot of "a lot's" but you have some serious catching up to do if your going to challenge this goal.  

Q.  Hi, I am 21 years old. I have been playing tennis since I was 7. I only started recently trying to play seriously, I had a couple of lessons from the coach at the club and my technique is fine. If I want to be a serious player what is the steps I need to take. I want to take tennis as I can. Are playing tournaments the only way of improving? What can I do? I currently have a lot of time to practice and I think with enough drive a person can accomplish anything. What would you recommend is some things route that i need to follow? I know you must get a lot of questions like these, but i thank you for taking the time to read this one.  Regards

A.  Hi, Yer tournaments are where your technique will be tested. From these matches you can get an idea on the areas that need further improvement. You can also hone your competitive skills there. Read about tennis and play board games that like chess etc. good luck Brad

Q.  I want to start a career in tennis coaching. I have worked for the Investment Banking sector for around 9 years and wish to think about pursuing a career in coaching. What do you recommend I do?

A.  Hi, join you countries coaching association and begin to play, read and study a lot about tennis. Do a coaching course. Cheers Brad

Q.  Hi.I am 12 years old and love tennis. I have been playing since I was 4 and I am very good. I play in all the adult comps except for ladies. I play in State tournaments and in my most recent I lost the men’s doubles semi. I play around 27 hours a week. Probably more when I think about it. Do you think there is any chance I will be a pro.

A. I think you have more chance than most at becoming a Pro.  Keep working at your game and read a lot of what the past champs have to say, not just tennis people but all sports champions.  Work hard at school and try to work your tennis into related subjects so you start to build a wealth of info around you. The better you are at school, in problem solving for example, the better your ability will be when you have to solve a tennis problem. good luck Brad 

Q.  I am 18 years old but now is my question can I still get a professional  career started or is it to late?  How many years should it take to get everything learned? How match dos a professional coach cost and what do I do?

A. Dear . It would be unlikely anyone could start tennis at 18 and become a pro. It takes many years of training to make money from tennis tournaments. Professional coaches cost around 40 usd an hour. If your interested in playing set reasonable short term goals, read a lot about the game and play as much as possible. good luck Brad 

Q.  Hi I'm 12 (highschool 2004) and just started train i've known how 2 play for ages but just started. I do fixtures, and my team one. I really wanna be a famous tennis player I have for ages but my parents only let my start last yr (2003). My parents say i have no chance because everyone else started when they were really young is any chance i could be a famous tennis pro, if their is how many times a week would i have 2 train. (plus i am pretty fit, i swim 4-6 times a week from 3;30-500pm, and i letterbox drop weekly) Can u help??

A.  Hi . Asking me if you could be a pro starting so late is a tough question. It has been done before but its much harder the older you are. I think you should start training a bit and see where it takes you. If you move quickly through the ranks then re-evaluate your goals.  Remember to do well at school, as generally the kids who do well at school are the kids that do well at sport. good luck Brad

Q.   How old is too old to begin playing competitive tennis? I used to play in HS but I played two other sports in college. I am an All-American in Track and field but I love tennis. I just graduated from college and I think that with a little time I could get back into tennis. What is the average age for a tennis player and how can I et started---Semi-pro? 

A.   Dear Aggie: How long does it take to improve your track times by a second? You're asking me that kind of question. If you get back into it and you have the time and money to invest, in six months play a money tournament of the lowest level ($300 to win) and I'm sure your question regarding becoming pro or semi pro will be answered. Good luck Brad 

Q.   Hi, my name is ….. and I'm 21 years old and have never played tennis in my life. I was a loner in high school and I never played any sports. Now that I'm older I realize how ridiculous I was. I'm starting college this August and I signed up for beginning tennis. I have 2 weeks before school starts and I was wondering if there is any type of exercise I can do at home to give me an edge when the tennis class starts? I'm overweight (which I'm working on as we speak) and I am not very fast on my feet. I have great upper body strength. I know I don't have the physique required for this sport, but I really want to eventually get on the college team. I will never be thin and fast...considering this, should I looking into another sport? What would you recommend as my sport, if I am not fit for tennis, considering my build? Thanks for any advice you can give. By the way your site is great! 

A.    Hi …..first Q. get a racket and simply bounce the ball. Keep it going for as long as pos. this will help condition your forearm wrist and hand,throw and catch a ball (against a wall) play tennis against a wall. set reasonable goals. be the best in your house first. then the street then school etc. get busy in sport. live it, love it and stop thinking about your bod. Whip yourself into a frenzy over tennis. Challenge your friends your enemies the wall and even if you get kicked your winning because your playing anyway. Im happy you enjoy the site. More stuffs-a-coming. ciao brad.

Q.   Hello. I am currently a university student studying full time for a 3 year Commerce degree. When I eventually graduate from university I will be 21 years old. Once I graduate I would like to persuade a full time career in professional tennis. That is I'd like to play the likes of Agassi, Sampras, Rafter etc. If not as good as they are maybe be ranked 100th in the world or something.

The problem is I have never played tennis in my life before. I've never hit a ball with a racquet. My question is once I am 21 years of age and start training fresh in tennis for the first time, how long will it take me to reach the likes those top 100 players in the world?While I train in tennis I plan to train 4 days a week 5 hours a day full time while working part-time 3 days a week to support me.

Would training 4 days a week 5 hours each day for one full year allow me to reach a professional level? If not, and I know there's no guarantee but assuming I will make it how many years would it take me to achieve it (starting at 21 years old)?

I am a male around 178 cm tall and weigh 61 kg. Most of all the world's best players are 6 ft and above and have been playing tennis since they were 5 year olds.

Once playing professional for the first time, do tennis players (very lowly ranked in the world) earn any less than $30,000 a year? When professional tennis play tournaments overseas (e.g. grand slams, APT & etc), who actually pays for their airfares and accommodation?

By reading this e-mail you would probably be thinking I'm dreaming and sounds very ridiculous and obviously mostly unrealistic. It is probably 99% that it'll never happen for sure.Your advice and comments would be mostly welcomed and appreciated. Best regards,

A.  Hi Ano. Baring divine intervention you have a greater chance winning lotto. I've heard of really good players (club / amateur tournament level) starting late, but top 100 is hard to achieve for players who play flat out for ten years like myself. My tip is to practice commerce and go to tournaments to get the vibe. Maybe get into promotions or be a player agent. Good luck and this is only my opinion. Brutal reality brad they call me!

Q.  Hello. SirI am Jason Kim.I am Korean.
My dream is Wimbledon champion,
but I learn only 1 year.I 17 years old.
Can you help you me.this is my dream.
You will teach me I can practice hard and hard
tennis coach help me.alway I wait your message,
really I can do it. Promise

A. Hi Jason. There are a fifty guys in the world that have a chance of winning a major. The road is long and hard. Its great to have dreams but set realistic goals and take one step at a time and who knows what you can achieve. Ciao brad