Thiem: 'Tennis is not for poor people'

Dominic Thiem won the US Open.

For him, tennis has become a playground for the wealthy - where talent alone is not enough.

Dominic Thiem has never been one to shy away from the truth. At 32, having retired from tennis, the Austrian looks back on his journey with sobriety and a touch of bitterness: “Tennis is a rich man’s sport . From 13 to 18, you spend almost a million euros.”

That statement was like a knife cutting into the glittering illusion surrounding the 220 km/h serves and beautiful passes. Thiem - who climbed to No. 3 in the world , won the US Open 2020, and was runner-up at Roland Garros twice - understands better than anyone the price of dreams.

He said that from the age of 15, young tennis players have to live like professional athletes, traveling 30-35 weeks a year, with no prize money, just expenses. It all depends on the financial capacity of the family - or the appearance of an "investor" willing to put in money in exchange for a percentage of future earnings.

“I myself received 80,000 euros a year from the age of 15, and then paid it back when I started earning more,” Thiem admitted. “But not everyone is so lucky. Without support, many talents will stay in their dreams forever.”

Thiem believes that to be successful in tennis, players have to spend a lot of money.

Thiem doesn’t complain – he speaks with the voice of someone who has been through the system before. Even at the top, Thiem still recognizes the paradox: seemingly huge bonuses are “corroded” by taxes, coaching costs, physiotherapy, travel and equipment. “From £65,000 at Wimbledon, you can lose 60%,” he calculates. “Even with sponsorship, you still have to pay tax because your image is on television.”

In a world where opportunity depends more on money than talent, Thiem is trying to change that. At his academy, he supports poor families and gives talented kids the opportunity to train. But Thiem himself admits that it is just a drop in the ocean.

Ironically, a sport once considered a symbol of elegance is being suffocated by its own costs. And when Dominic Thiem says “tennis is for rich people,” he’s not just talking about money – he’s also talking about the price of achieving your dreams.

Source: https://znews.vn/thiem-quan-vot-khong-danh-cho-nguoi-ngheo-post1593378.html