Alexander Bublik: I hate tennis with all my heart.

[GhostOfNKDM]

I kinda understand how he feels. I'm a professional artist and people think it must be fun. It's actually very lonely and tedious work. I have no interaction with anyone ever so I teach tennis as well just to be around happy people. Unfortunately I have no skills besides art, I'd rather do anything else.

Doing something for recreation and for a living are two completely different animals and most people can’t comprehend that.

I’d give the example of cooking.

It’s one thing to be good at cooking up a few delicious meals a week, take pics to post on social media and get complimented for trying out new recipes, completely another running a kitchen of any size professionally or being in the restaurant business.

The tedium, unsexy legwork, long hours, unpredictability of demand, unreliable staff, demanding customers, razor thin margins and high overheads make food service one of the highest rate of failures of any small business .

Yet we look at the restaurants/food trucks that are successful and think it must be such a glamorous/easy business; ‘just a chef with passion that turned their hobby into an easy source of income’

 

[blablavla]

Many people hate their desk jobs. Why are people so quick to pi55 on this player?

Because anyone salty with access to Internet believes that he/she is entitled.
I can bet that these people aren't nearly as good in what they do for living and if someone would scrutinize their work in a similar manner, they'd need a sabbatical for a few years to overcome the "trauma "

 

[Hellenic Hero]

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.

that’s absolute ********, I’m a top 50 junior in aus - i’d say junior star players get out/party a lot more than the average kid (less time spent in class/doing homework), the semi celebrity aspect of being a gun junior tennis player makes picking up girls way easier, plus tennis Australia is pretty generous with funding so players always have a lot of cash to splash - I understand it’s different in other countries but Aus is pretty good

 

[blablavla]

that’s absolute ********, I’m a top 50 junior in aus - i’d say junior star players get out/party a lot more than the average kid (less time spent in class/doing homework), the semi celebrity aspect of being a gun junior tennis player makes picking up girls way easier, plus tennis Australia is pretty generous with funding so players always have a lot of cash to splash - I understand it’s different in other countries but Aus is pretty good

if top 50 means something like #40 - #49, then you are very likely wasting your precious time on tennis, unless you are 14-16 years old and everyone above you is 17-18.

can you please point at top 100 pro players that only reached top 50 while juniors in Australia?

 

[megamind]

Do you know how many don't even try?
those who actually could, but have a little bit of realistic approach to life

Meet Nick Kyrgios

 

[megamind]

that’s absolute ********, I’m a top 50 junior in aus - i’d say junior star players get out/party a lot more than the average kid (less time spent in class/doing homework), the semi celebrity aspect of being a gun junior tennis player makes picking up girls way easier, plus tennis Australia is pretty generous with funding so players always have a lot of cash to splash - I understand it’s different in other countries but Aus is pretty good

personally, I don't think you're wasting your time on tennis

top 50 is definitely cool, you're probably good enough to get a college scholarship if you keep working hard. Keep at it!

 

[Slowtwitcher]

that’s absolute ********, I’m a top 50 junior in aus - i’d say junior star players get out/party a lot more than the average kid (less time spent in class/doing homework), the semi celebrity aspect of being a gun junior tennis player makes picking up girls way easier, plus tennis Australia is pretty generous with funding so players always have a lot of cash to splash - I understand it’s different in other countries but Aus is pretty good

Just in case you didn't think Australian tennis had a culture problem, I give you Exhibit Z.

 

[tennisgurl]

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.

Ridiculous. Making top 100 in tennis is an achievement in itself furthering the point that it is a tough sport so I'm not sure what your point is here.

Coach selecting/dropping you off team is not mutually exclusive to pressures associated with making money. There isn't a lot of money in tennis unless you are in top 100 and there is a reason why you see a plethora of players complaining about distribution of money/earnings. USTA estimated annual average cost to be a “highly competitive” professional tennis player was $143,000—including $70,000 for coaching and $60,000 for travel—and that only the 164 highest-ranked players on the men’s tour would have broken even with such costs. This was by the way in 2010, a decade ago. Costs have only gone up. If you are implying that this fact alone isn't as stressful as coach picking/selecting you for a team, you are dead wrong.

Traveling, going from one place to another costs a lot so easier said than done for "One bad tennis match = off to the next one". You pay for food, coach, physio, hotel, flight tickets and any and all travel expenses out of your own pocket. There are some really good articles on this issue floating around, just Google them.

Unlike other sports, where players are paid stipends on regular basis from their affiliated government organizations, tennis players depend on day to day grind to survive. Your prize money is what you live of off in tennis. So yeah, it is a tough sport to make it to the top. Are the rewards worthwhile at the top end? Sure. But its getting to that point which is extremely hard.

 

[Hellenic Hero]

personally, I don't think you're wasting your time on tennis

top 50 is definitely cool, you're probably good enough to get a college scholarship if you keep working hard. Keep at it!

thanks mate, that's the plan - try and get a college scholarship, then have a go on the pro circuit after - if I'm good enough, great, if not, I'll have a degree on which to fall back on
Also planning on playing a few futures around Aus post COVID/vaccine etc, so we'll see how that goes

 

[atatu]

I really like Bublik, he is definitely a character, great job today beating Zverev, and winning the title at Sud de France.

 

[Heliath]

Another check, another step closer to retirement.

 

[I Am Finnish]

Does he really hates tennis?

 

[d-quik]

always welcome to go back to the building site.

 

[UnderratedSlam]

The best thing about this player is his name.

Booblick.

 

[I Am Finnish]

.

 

[stringertom]

Will The Muzziah make him hate once more? We will know in the next few days.

 

[Entername]

I can understand where Bublik is coming from personally.

In my 20s, I started my own online business on the side of my 9-5 full-time job, so I would work 9-5, have dinner, work on the business, sleep, and repeat for about a year. When I quit my 9-5 because my online business started taking off, I worked even MORE than I ever would have during my 9-5, and even during times when I wasn't working on it, I could never take my mind off of it.

A lot of my friends envied me for my success with the biz and they thought my life must be perfect because I'm doing a "non-traditional" career, and although I was very happy about the success and being able to decide when I can work/live my life, it was annoying to hear everyone think it was sunflowers and roses for me. In our digital age, I'd be lying if I said it was not tough going online and seeing friends from college having fun after their jobs while I'm at home working still. I went years without having a girlfriend, while seeing my old friends getting married/having kids, because I put my 110% into the business and my social life became a mess to say the least. I remember thinking that going on dates was likely going to be a waste of my time when I could be at home working on my career/passion. When I eventually sold it to a big company, that's when I was finally able to relax for a bit.

Bottom line, everything sounds cool until it becomes your primary source of income. Don't get me wrong, I love being an entreprenuer and I wouldn't trade this career for anything but even if you normally love what you do for a living, there will be moments where you certainly do not

 

[puppybutts]

Honestly the big 3 and Serena have really skewed how the public or even tennis fans view tennis players. They're the outliers...someone like Bublik is much more common. Grass is often greener when it comes to job perception, and making a career change is hard for anyone when you have to put food on the table.

 

[roysid]

I also hate my job with all my heart and the interactios i need to do with company people.

The only thing i like is the paycheck at end of month

 

[guanzishou]

Congratulations Bublik on your first ATP title in your 5th try!

Bublik shocks Zverev at Open Sud de France

Alexander Bublik earned the biggest win of his career on Sunday, upsetting top seed Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-3 to capture his maiden ATP Tour title at the Open Sud de France.

www.espn.com.au

 

[Sudacafan]

Me too.

 

[Sudacafan]

Then don’t play.

It's a dangerous drug, don't you know?

 

[Sudacafan]

I hate listening to a talented guy like Bublik saying he hates tennis.
Therefore, I hate Bublik.