My Tennis Life: Gibbs, Groth on forming a team and making a living

Sam Groth and Nicole Gibbs are giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at the world of professional tennis all year long in My Tennis Life. To read more updates from Sam and Nicole, go to TennisChannel.com.

In the fifth episode of My Tennis Life, Sam Groth and Nicole Gibbs discuss the importance of proper conditioning, how imperative it is to have the right team in your corner and the challenges of making a living on tour.

“Creating your team is one of the most important things you’ll ever do on tour,” said Gibbs, who lost in the first round of the Miami Open this week. “The more you can kind of make it feel like a team and a little bit less pressure on your shoulders alone, that’s a really good asset.

“…[My coach is] the person I’m seeing most often, traveling the majority of the year with me—on the practice courts, when we’re home. He’s the one who’s really pushing me day in, day out to that next level.”

Many fans and observers presume that all tennis players, being that they’re professional athletes, are making tons of money and living lavish lifestyles. That’s hardly the case for most players, and money earned ultimately depends on how much you play and how well you play. Wealth is far from a sure thing.

“To be making a good living in tennis, you want to be Top 100,” said Groth, who’s currently ranked 188th on the ATP tour. “If you’re doing well in those Grand Slams, and maybe the Masters events, that’s where the big money is. For us, there’s a lot of expenses. You have all your own flights, all your travel, all your hotels.

"And then if you travel with a coach, you have a coach there with you. You have his expenses—their per diems, or their food allowances.”

Coming into this week, the Australian had played three ATP tournaments, two Challengers and Davis Cup in 2017. He’s gone 1-3 in ATP main-draw play, his lone victory coming over Pierre-Hugues Herbert back in January. The 29-year-old played the Guadalajara Challenger this week, losing to Jerzy Janowicz in three sets in his opener.

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