Paula Badosa is just one of many players who struggled financially before hitting it big, as she admitted in a recent interview.
Badosa doesn't come from a privileged background, but even so, her family provided her with a really solid upbringing. Yet, she struggled with financing herself until she hit it big, and it's a very familiar story.
Tennis is a very expensive sport, so it's never a surprise to see many players struggling before hitting it big; it's the basic motivation behind Novak Djokovic's PTPA.
He's been on both sides of the coin and wants to see a strong player's union that could advocate for better conditions for players. Just a few weeks ago, we heard about India's number on Sumit Nagal struggling to earn a living from tennis as most of his earnings go to financing his career.
We've heard many stories about that, and it's why Djokovic and others keep pushing for better conditions for players. One of those players is Paula Badosa, who is part of the PTPA, and she recently talked to the WTA about her experience with finances.
I know how tough it is to be a professional tennis player & how expensive it is. It’s not for everyone. I come from a very humble family. I have always been very independent. I never wanted them to help me.
When I was 15, I started to deal with my own financial part & started to learn from it as well. I was struggling with expenses, I was doing it on my own. I didn’t want them to carry that weight on their shoulders. Those first years before I broke into the top 100, I was stressed & worried about it because I was doing it by myself.
Luckily for Badosa, she worked her way to a really solid career and managed to take care of that part of her life. But that's not the case for most players.