Because You Need To Have Underdogs For There To Be A Top – Tennis In Peril
Sofia Shapatava is finally getting the media spotlight, but in a way that she would have never expected.
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A low-ranking tennis player, all she wanted to do was just play tennis, and earn money along the championships, although they may amount to a sultry sum. And now, everything has stopped in its tracks.
“All you can do is stick your head out of a window.”
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“My mom’s cousin got infected and he passed away so that was very bad news for us,” she said. “It’s very depressing because I knew him since I was a kid. I know many Italian players who are at home for longer than me and I think it’s getting hard for them too. It’s just sad and it’s very weird, it’s like science fiction book. We are all pretty depressed.”
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ⓒ Wikipedia
Tennis players, by rule, are not incorporated into a federation or a governing body, therefore they are basically earning through their days with whatever championships they might win.point 281 |
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Equipment is naturally a sponsored material, but the money is what she won’t get if it keeps up.point 85 | She is so under-financed that even before the Corona outbreak, she was supported by her German coach.point 170 |
“I’ve talked to so many players and I’ve a couple of friends who don’t know how to pay the rent this month.point 280 |
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A petition is a way to be heard.point 25 | I don’t demand, I’m just basically trying to get attention so the ITF — and who if not them — can support us.point 136 |
“We pay fines for everything, if we do something on court or withdraw from a tournament late, so I think, in a way, we belong to them.point 250 |
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point 7 | ⓒ EssentiallySports
Shapatava has started the online petition for sustainable living to underdog tennis players like her, who could barely support their living even before the crisis: “Many people expensed a lot of money to get there and we didn’t get paid,” she said.point 352 |
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“We cannot work.point 20 | We cannot play club matches, which is the biggest income for lower-income tennis players outside of playing tennis and coaching.point 129 | ”
The ITF has recently gave its own statement with a response to CNN saying “it was implementing a series of measures to safeguard jobs, which included a job protection scheme for employees and the “utilization of funds” from ITF reserves”.point 361 |
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ITF is also “looking into various options to support nations and players and would “provide more information when we have completed that process.point 135 | ””
For Shapatova, this year alone she has had to run through the states and cities of Las Vegas, California, Kentucky, Michigan and France to make ends meet.point 277 |
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The most heavy amount she has been able to win is $926.point 44 |
point 44 | ⓒ EssentiallySports
“That’s actually the biggest income for players ranked lower than 250,” she explained.point 256 |
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“It usually pays more than you get in six months of competing.point 57 | ”
Steve Simon, chairman of the WTA, said in an interview with CNN that “We wish there was a way everyone, especially those in need the most, could be compensated at the level they were expecting but the needs are so great and the WTA unfortunately is not in a financial position to do that.point 305 |
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