World No 151 Taro Daniel has opened up on the harsh realities of life outside the tennis elite.
Daniel, 32, who hails from Japan but is based in Florida in the USA, has qualified for 11 Grand Slams, including Wimbledon on six occasions.
He is best known for reaching the third round of the Australian Open in 2022 after beating Andy Murray in round two, where he received £150,000 in prize money.
However, despite that memorable run, Daniel has faced financial issues during his career given the cost of hiring coaches and physios, as well as travel expenses, something that is a major problem for lower-ranked players.
And the 32-year-old has opened up on those monetary challenges which has seen him give up hobbies and other things he enjoys.
‘When I was younger, I even wouldn’t get the avocado on my Chipotle order because it’s like three dollars more,’ he told the Financial Times. ‘When you try to save too much it ends up impacting people’s games negatively.’
Daniel failed to qualify for either the Australian or French Open earlier this year, but he has still racked up around £135,000 in prize money through various tournament performances.
Nevertheless, that figure doesn’t seem much when you take into account all the costs and expenses required for the life of a professional tennis player.
‘First of all, you’re earning all of this money from foreign countries so they’re going to take all the withholding taxes,’ Daniel added.
‘Tournaments cover your hotel room, but they don’t cover your coach’s hotel room. My credit card statement, it’s at least $20,000 (£14,702) a month on just operational expenses of hotel, food, flights and not including the salaries I pay to my team.
‘As a tennis player, you’re like a small company but having all your employees travelling all the time. [It’s] at least $100,000 (£73,518) per season for your basic level, not super experienced coach.’
The Japanese star continued: ‘Ten years ago, when I started, a lot of players would travel alone because the standards were not as high. Now, it would be very rare for someone to travel alone to a Grand Slam, for example.
‘Everyone has a coach or trainer. They’re probably right on the red-black line. Even in a Slam, you’re not necessarily making money.’
Qualifying for Wimbledon takes place this week and if Daniel does manage to make it to SW19, it will not only be a fantastic career opportunity but also a chance to boost his earnings.
This is because there is a significant amount of prize money available at the tournament.
Those who are knocked out in the first round are guaranteed £66,000, while players who make it through to round two receive £99,000 and third round losers will even make £152,000.
Meanwhile, this year’s £3million bounty for the Wimbledon winner will be the largest prize ever handed out in Grand Slam history.
