Born_to_slice
Legend
I don't buy his "hatred" for tennis. He possibly hates hard work and sacrifices but looks very motivated and sometimes emotional on court. That will become even more obvious with more success.
Alexander Bublik: I hate tennis with all my heart.
- Thread starter Fairhit
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Meles
Bionic Poster
Somehow modelling after Saint Nick in spirit too?
Slowtwitcher
Legend
The thing with AA is that he never looked like he was having fun on the court. Bublik otoh seems to have fun:
dominikk1985
Legend
Yeah, there are guys who hate the training but like the actual competition.I can see players hating the daily grind in training and all the travel too but still enjoying competition.
mental midget
Hall of Fame
what is he, 20 years old? like someone said he looks like he’s having fun out there sometimes...maybe he’s just a mercurial drama addict. i’ll tune in to watch him play though for sure, always entertaining.
jm1980
Talk Tennis Guru
How many people out there hate their jobs but continue working because they want/need the money? I don't see how it would be different with tennis players
Bhagi Katbamna
Legend
It's always good to work at a minimum wage job for a time when you're young. Working in a dry-cleaner for a summer worked wonders for my education. Sweating away in a 105 degree dry-cleaner place in the middle of a hot summer made me serious about my education.
But odds aren't with you. In the end someone has to do those jobs, so even if we all get educated, we will still have to do those jobs.
All of us can be doctors, but a lot of us will still have to do those plumbing jobs. math.
reportedly Safin didn't play tennis a long period after ending his career.
reportedly Nalbandian didn't play tennis a long period after ending his career.
TearTheRoofOff
G.O.A.T.
Oh hai Agassi.
Bhagi Katbamna
Legend
Plumbing is a path to own your own business and become a millionaire. A gender studies degree, however, will most likely mean asking people if they want fries for a significant part of the work life.
And all of us cannot be doctors. There's not enough medical schools for that and if there were, not enough residency positions.
I Am Finnish
Bionic Poster
Bublik to win 8 slams and a gold medal
Tmano
Hall of Fame
Haha who knows, if he really plays only for money that is what he should do.
I Am Finnish
Bionic Poster
.
Again only small percentage of plumbers will own a business, most plubmers will work for them in crappy jobs for low pay. Are you saying all of us can be millionaires if we work hard? That is mathematically impossible.
Bhagi Katbamna
Legend
The plumbers that are certified(not just DIY) can and do well. Most millionaires in the US own their own business and are self-made(not inherited the money). The book "The Millionaire Next Door" is eye opening.
Most poverty in the US is due to 3-4 poor decisions that people make:
Williams: A simple formula for avoiding poverty
Finish high school; get a job; marry before having kids; and obey the law.
www.gastongazette.com
Antonio Puente
Hall of Fame
Bublik might hate tennis with all his heart, but he still got more games against Sonego than Djoker did.
I Am Finnish
Bionic Poster
Does it mean he is better than Djokovic?
Being on the tour brings a lot of negatives. You're away from your loved ones, far away from the support, far away from comfort. You have a bad day? There's nobody to give you a hug. You have to go in front of the camera and perform.
Hats off to everyone that attempts it. Sure, it's nice to get away from home once in a while. But 11 out of 12 months? No matter how much you like traveling, this is too much.
Most sports seasons are 4-5 months and then the rest of the year practice at home with a month of vacation. Tennis is 11 months on tour, then 1 month of preparing for next season. You're lucky if you can afford a week off to relax.
But, the players need the money. That's why they have to do it. You think earning 1.3mil (this is not net income!) is a lot? Think again. That's not nearly close to what is actually left in your pocket after all the expenses.
All I'm saying is, it's no wonder that some players hate tennis. But at 22, you invested 16 years into it already. You can't just go work in an office. With a lot of players, their parents sacrificed everything in order to keep them on tournaments and with a coach. Some parents also pushed the kids to keep going even though they did not like it (Svitolina said so for example). It's hard to judge them really.
Fun fact; it's also why a lot of musicians end up on drugs and alcohol. I come from that world and it's not a pretty sight. It's also why I got out of professional music.
Hats off to everyone that attempts it. Sure, it's nice to get away from home once in a while. But 11 out of 12 months? No matter how much you like traveling, this is too much.
Most sports seasons are 4-5 months and then the rest of the year practice at home with a month of vacation. Tennis is 11 months on tour, then 1 month of preparing for next season. You're lucky if you can afford a week off to relax.
But, the players need the money. That's why they have to do it. You think earning 1.3mil (this is not net income!) is a lot? Think again. That's not nearly close to what is actually left in your pocket after all the expenses.
All I'm saying is, it's no wonder that some players hate tennis. But at 22, you invested 16 years into it already. You can't just go work in an office. With a lot of players, their parents sacrificed everything in order to keep them on tournaments and with a coach. Some parents also pushed the kids to keep going even though they did not like it (Svitolina said so for example). It's hard to judge them really.
Fun fact; it's also why a lot of musicians end up on drugs and alcohol. I come from that world and it's not a pretty sight. It's also why I got out of professional music.
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Quite a few Famous Tennis players have said the exact same thing. Most of them feel forced to play from a very early age. Just like being an artist you are rarely the best of the best. Never quite perfect enough. Almost always someone else is better. Falter and you are thrown away for the next star.
stingstang
Professional
Of course there would be pressures but BS. It’s gotta be the one of the very best sports to be involved in if you make the top 100.
No worries about a coach selecting/dropping you from a team.
Travel the world.
Plenty of tournies to make cash - unlike for example a swimmer who have so few major opportunities. One bad performance or small injury could blow out a seasons work. One bad tennis match = off to the next one.
And don’t even compare to combat sports like MMA!
It might be a stupid interview he made in a bad mood or whatever so I don’t read much into it though.
Shaolin
G.O.A.T.
I was just talking to my wife about how much I feel for the junior players who show a little promise so their families sell everything and move off somewhere for them to train at an academy with the goal of turning pro.
Talk about pressure. Not sure how a kid would love the game anymore with that much on their shoulders.
I remember I was #1 in my state (in a sport other than tennis) and my dad blew it was out of proportion and made it not fun anymore. I quit after 2 years. Some of these kids live with that pressure all their childhood. Really feel sorry for them.
davced1
Hall of Fame
That's amazing since he seemed to care about the match about half as much as Djokovic did.
clout
Hall of Fame
Lol you realize they're not travelling coast to coast as a leisure tourist right? These guys are on the road 11 months of the year, while paying for all their travel expenses including flights and accommodations, and when you're living in hotels 11 months of the year, you'll get very sick of travelling.
Also, when they arrive in places like Paris, London or NYC, they're not spending all their time at Broadway shows, Pubs or the Eiffel Tower, instead they're either playing or training for the vast majority of their time there.
socallefty
G.O.A.T.
I hate tennis…when I have to play doubles with a partner I don’t like. I love tennis when it is singles - I also like tennis when it is doubles with a partner I like. So, maybe once every 10 matches or so, I hate tennis.
Bublik probably hates the tennis lifestyle - constant travel, constant jet lag and adapting to cultures you are not used to, all the time spent away from friends and family, constant pressure to succeed, self-worth and earnings decided solely by match results, hardly any income after expenses unless you make the top 50. Even if he loves his time on court, the tennis pro lifestyle must be a grind especially if you don’t have the perks of being a top-ranked player. It must be almost impossible to sustain a steady relationship also with a girl back home if you travel all the time.
Bublik probably hates the tennis lifestyle - constant travel, constant jet lag and adapting to cultures you are not used to, all the time spent away from friends and family, constant pressure to succeed, self-worth and earnings decided solely by match results, hardly any income after expenses unless you make the top 50. Even if he loves his time on court, the tennis pro lifestyle must be a grind especially if you don’t have the perks of being a top-ranked player. It must be almost impossible to sustain a steady relationship also with a girl back home if you travel all the time.
Hellenic Hero
Rookie
That’s probably true for most players, but I‘ve seen Bublik off his face before matches too many times to believe that’s what he’s doing
stingstang
Professional
Drivel. They have to catch flights, poor them. You think anyone wants to get up early in the morning and commute to work?
If they lock themselves in hotel rooms during their down time and don’t schedule properly then they might end up feeling like Bublik. I’m sure it’s nothing trying a proper job in the real world couldn’t fix.
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you obviously have no idea what you're talking about.
let's start with the fact that most start to train at really young age and often have no childhood, as proper training is pretty much equaling with a proper job, except that they start it not at 25-30 years old, but at 6 years old or so.
then let's proceed to when a "normal" kid has fun, by going to parties, going out with friends, discovers the opposite sex (or same sex, to be fair), those who really train miss most of that
then let's proceed to the fact that given many restrictions, as a kid you might be the champion of your club, city, country, and whatever, but when as a 14-18 years old you try your first steps in Futures tournaments, there will be someone better. If not this week, then next week. If not at Futures level, then at Challenger level. If not at Challenger level, then at 250 level. Which is quite difficult, cause champions are the best in the world, but there you have a "noname" by TTW standards, ranked somewhere handing you a defeat at some "low level" tournaments.
Add here the fact that pretty much everyone below top 100 is burning cash, and can't afford to travel with the team from their prize & endorsement money.
Add here that you need to keep yourself in shape. And you need to train. And to compete. And make sure that you have vizas, and flight tickets, and taxi, and you are registered to tournaments, and accepted in the draw, and and and
Add here that anyone who seriously trains has plenty of injuries, already as a kid.
And add here that there are out there approximately 1500 players who managed to get ATP ranking points, but many more are trying, so getting to top 100, is like becoming a CEO of a Fortune 500 company by the time when you are 30-35 years old.
If you think that is easy and fun, you might want to re-consider that.
when you can go and have a beer with your pals, those who aspire to be a pro athlete, have to follow a strict regime 12 months per year, 365 days, 24/7.
train, eat, sleep, recover, make sure that you are enrolled in all relevant competitions, follow up on all arrangements.
Slowtwitcher
Legend
Being a tennis pro is nothing like commutting to work. Ask anyone here that travels for work, they'll tell you it's very stressful.
Another day, another airport, another hotel room. You probably fly a couple times a year, maybe for vacation time? Well it's not the same at all.
Being away from friends and family, in an environment that is very competitive. It grinds you down.
stingstang
Professional
And yet I have not seen one player give up and get a normal job. Countless try to achieve it 
You have many players continuing way past the point they financially never need to work again.
The rewards obviously heavily outweigh the negatives aspects.
You have many players continuing way past the point they financially never need to work again.The rewards obviously heavily outweigh the negatives aspects.
And yet I have not seen one player give up and get a normal job. Countless try to achieve it
The rewards obviously heavily outweigh the negatives aspects.
for the top 10 / 20? yeah, you'r right
for the next 30-40 players? depends how long time they spend in top 100
for the rest? it barely breaks even, unless you can be the #90 for 10 years or so.
one year in top 100 is nice from finance point of view, but deduct all taxes, expenses etc., investment done during the life, and it's a loss making investment.
yes, many try, cause they see the 100 Mio prize money collected by Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
Do you know how many don't even try?
those who actually could, but have a little bit of realistic approach to life
perhaps it is one of the reasons why there are so few US citizens in top 100 these days, cause your odds of getting there are ridiculously small.
Slowtwitcher
Legend
And yet I have not seen one player give up and get a normal job. Countless try to achieve it
The rewards obviously heavily outweigh the negatives aspects.
Just the same way you have not seen a former CEO or anyone is a high-performing position get a normal job.
We're talking about the reality of having a high-performing job, something that apparently you don't know much about.
mike danny
Bionic Poster
I love tennis, but I certainly won't wish for my kids to not undergo education and try having a tennis career instead.
Education guarantees you a future. Tennis doesn't.
Im(moral) Winner
G.O.A.T.
Not necessarily.
persuading a pro tennis career is pretty much like trying to become the Musk of tomorrow.
many entrepreneurs try this, but only a hand of them becomes reach.
go to the Silicone Valley and see how many homeless people live there.
Slowtwitcher
Legend
stingstang
Professional
Ouch so offended
Rarely is something worth achieving easy or without hard work. The truly successful don’t whine & ***** about hurdles and inconveniences, they are too busy getting on with ****. The Bubliks of the world should be appreciative of their opportunities and take a look at wheelchair players for example.
Ouch so offended
Rarely is something worth achieving easy or without hard work. The truly successful don’t whine & ***** about hurdles and inconveniences, they are too busy getting on with ****. The Bubliks of the world should be appreciative of their opportunities and take a look at wheelchair players for example.
you obviously have no clue what you're talking about.
when you for example work in a corporate, and you work hard to become the CEO one day, but you fail, and only "stuck" somewhere in the middle, you'll be earning quite a lot of money, and most likely there will be enough opportunities for you to switch jobs more or less easily.
when you for example work in government, say starting as a clerk, and aim to become the president / prime minister one day, but you fail and you only get several promotions, remaining stuck somewhere in the middle, you're gonna be making enough for life. Perhaps you will have good chances of switching into corporate life into the regulatory affairs and making there the money that you didn't make in a government job.
as someone who tries to become a pro player, if you remain "somewhere" in the middle, it means:
- many years of your life were wasted
- many financial resources of your family were wasted
- your best shot for the rest of your life is quite likely a "teaching pro" in some club
mike danny
Bionic Poster
It's sure as heck a better choice than a pro tennis career.
you could say this about almost anyone who has 2 hands + 2 legs, or in other words was lucky to avoid any serious injury
stingstang
Professional
The topic here is Bublik - a top 100 player, making a lot of money in a dream job yet is whining about how supposedly bad it is. I am not sure what relevance your post here is. Yes with aspiring athletes in a lot of sports there is risk of imputing a huge amount of resources to get nothing back in return. That’s another topic altogether.
I am only agreeing with Navratilova & Cash’s responses to Tomic making similar BS whining a few years back.
stingstang
Professional
No, not many will be born with the physical attributes, natural skill to become a top pro and have had the support, funding etc to help achieve it.
UnderratedSlam
G.O.A.T.
Absolutely.
Should he lie instead? At least he is honest, gives us insight to a portion of the tour that doesn't experience the ATP as Disneyland but as a struggle.
UnderratedSlam
G.O.A.T.
Have you ever asked him what his travel expense are?
Ever been a pro?
It is a grind, not Disneyland.
SVP
Semi-Pro
Welcome, Vince Van Patten.Tennis is actually a pretty boring job. I should know because I was in the pros. I even knocked a big name out of a major once. But who was I? I will never tell you.
SVP
Semi-Pro
There’s a reason Agassi steered his son away from big time tennis. Playing Div.1 college baseball at USC sounds pretty good.
UnderratedSlam
G.O.A.T.
Agassi, an ATG, admitted in his book that he hated tennis for most of his career.
