The number of pro tennis players that break even at the sport is "fewer than 1,000," and far fewer "make a decent living," according to Carl Bialik of FIVETHIRTYEIGHT.com. More players "are competing for prizes that are growing slowly, especially at the game’s lowest levels." An analysis by the Int'l Tennis Federation showed that "only 336 men and 253 women made more than they spent playing tennis last year." The sport's economics "are particularly brutal," as players "are individual contractors who have to cover their own transportation, equipment, coaching and -- at some events -- accommodation and food." Almost all of them "have to supplement their winnings with sponsorships, support from their national federations or their families, odd jobs or all of the above." A player who lost in the first round of a Grand Slam event last year earned roughly $130,000, but the rest of the players in the world "are fighting for much smaller purses." The ITF estimates that the 4,978 men who won some prize money last year but were not in the top 1% "earned, on average, a little over $13,000." The bottom 99% of the 2,650 women who earned prize money "averaged about $22,600." The ITF "is considering how to divide the revenue among players in a way that’s best for the game." The nonprofit body "is studying the sport’s economics to make sure that players who are good enough to break through don’t quit the game before doing so." ITF Exec Dir of Pro Tennis Kris Dent: "The last thing I’d want is for an exceptionally talented player to have to leave the game after a year or two, before they realize their potential." Dent added that he "wants the lowest-level tournaments to cover players’ food and hotel costs in the form of a per diem" (FIVETHIRTYEIGHT.com, 12/30).
