French Open 2026: What’s life like on the low tennis tour?

For most players, it’s simple: more wins means more support.

Britain’s Toby Samuel won £75,000 in Paris for his first Grand Slam main draw. That’s enough to fund the rest of the season.

“These events are where you can grow your career and earn real money to pay your team,” Samuel said.

“When you do better at Grand Slams and make more money, everything off the court becomes a little easier and it helps you on the court.”

Hiring a full-time trainer, along with a physiotherapist or fitness trainer, will cover most of the cost.

“It all costs a lot of money. I feel like a lot of people outside of tennis don’t really understand that,” said Australian Rinke Hijikata, who remembers not eating properly to save money.

“It takes a lot of money and effort to invest in your own game.”

Friedsam reckons she would need to win £300,000 per season to break even.

If she doesn’t make enough money, she goes to the next tournament without a coach.

The global nature of tennis means constant international travel, and for players from far-flung locations, financing flights is even more difficult.

Bolivia’s Juan Carlos Prado Angelo said the prospect of a trip to his first Grand Slam main draw at Roland Garros was “very difficult for every player”.

The 21-year-old has an additional complication. Coming from a country with a lack of tennis pedigree, he had to go outside of Bolivia to get the professional knowledge he needed.

“I live in Bolivia and all my team – except the coach – are from Argentina,” said Prado Angelo.

“I train half in Buenos Aires and half in Bolivia, so I have to pay to take it to Bolivia and then travel to Argentina. It’s expensive.”