ROME — Stefano Travaglia, a 32-year-old Italian tennis professional ranked inside the world's top 100 as recently as 2021, has laid bare the stark financial realities of life on the professional tennis tour for all but the elite, revealing that he earns less in an entire year than Spanish superstar Carlos Alcaraz makes in a single day.
In a candid interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Travaglia detailed the immense struggle to break even despite a career that has seen him compete at Grand Slams and reach a career-high ranking of World No. 60. His revelations highlight the vast economic disparity in a sport where a handful of top players command nearly all the prize money and endorsement wealth.
"People see the glamour of the big tournaments on TV, the private jets, and the multi-million dollar contracts," Travaglia stated. "They don't see the 99% of players who are booking the cheapest flights, sharing hotel rooms with their coaches, and wondering if they can afford to play the next tournament if they lose in the first round."
The Crushing Economics of the Tour
For a player like Travaglia, who typically competes on the ATP Challenger Tour—the tier below the main ATP Tour—the financial math is brutal. While a first-round loss at a Grand Slam can net a player over $50,000, a first-round win at a Challenger event might pay only $1,000 to $2,000. The costs, however, remain consistently high.
Travaglia broke down the typical expenses for a player competing internationally:
- Coach's Salary: €3,000-€4,000 per month
- Physiotherapist/Masseur: An additional €1,500-€2,000 per tournament week
- Flights and Accommodation: Can easily exceed €1,500 per event
- Food and Daily Expenses: Several hundred euros per week
- Racket Stringing and Equipment: A constant, significant cost
"If you don't have a sponsor covering these costs, you are immediately in the red," Travaglia explained. "You are essentially running a small business, and the overhead is enormous. A few bad results in a row can be catastrophic."
Alcaraz vs. The Rest: A Staggering Comparison
To illustrate the chasm between the sport's haves and have-nots, Travaglia invoked the name of Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time Grand Slam champion. According to various estimates, Alcaraz's total earnings from prize money and endorsements in 2023 were approximately $32 million. This breaks down to roughly $87,000 per day over the course of a year.
Travaglia, by contrast, earned approximately $130,000 in prize money in 2023. After taxes and the substantial expenses outlined above, his net income is a fraction of that amount. "I make less in a year than Alcaraz makes in 24 hours," he said, a statement that is mathematically accurate and underscores the incredible concentration of wealth at the very top of the game.
This disparity is not lost on the players. While Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Jannik Sinner fly privately and have large, paid support teams, the vast majority of players navigate crowded airports, stay in budget accommodations, and often travel alone to save money. The pressure to perform is not just about ranking points; it's about survival.
The Mental Toll of Financial Instability
The constant financial strain takes a heavy psychological toll. Travaglia spoke openly about the difficulty of focusing on his tennis when worried about covering next month's rent or his coach's salary. "The stress is always there," he admitted. "It's a weight on your shoulders that the top players don't carry."
This environment creates a vicious cycle. Financial worry leads to poor performance, which leads to early tournament exits and less prize money, which in turn increases the financial worry. For players hovering around the top 100, the difference between a good year and a bad year can be the difference between continuing a professional career and having to quit.
"You see young players with immense talent burn out quickly because they can't afford the grind," Travaglia noted. "They get a small loan from their federation or their family, but if the results don't come fast enough, the money runs out. The system is designed to favor those who are already established or who have significant financial backing from the start."
A Call for a Fairer Distribution
Travaglia's story is not unique. It echoes the sentiments of countless players on both the ATP and WTA tours. In recent years, there has been a growing movement, led by player associations like the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), to advocate for a more equitable distribution of the sport's revenue, particularly at the lower levels.
The core argument is that while Grand Slam prize money has increased dramatically for winners and finalists, the increases for first-round losers have been more modest. Furthermore, prize money at Challenger and ITF-level tournaments has not kept pace with rising costs, making it increasingly difficult for players to sustain a career.
Travaglia and his peers are calling for tennis's governing bodies and tournament organizers to redirect more funds to the sport's foundation. "Without the hundreds of players grinding on the Challenger tour, there is no pipeline for the next generation of stars," he argued. "Investing in us is investing in the future of tennis."
The Passion That Persists
Despite the hardships, Travaglia's love for the game remains undimmed. He continues to train with the goal of climbing back into the top 100 and qualifying for major tournaments directly, where the financial rewards are life-changing. The dream of a deep run at a tournament like the Italian Open in Rome or the US Open is what fuels him through the difficult weeks.
"I don't play for the money, because if I did, I would have quit a long time ago," he said, a note of defiance in his voice. "I play because I love tennis. I love the competition. But love doesn't pay the bills. Every athlete deserves a chance to make a living doing what they are best at, without facing financial ruin."
His story serves as a powerful reminder of the unseen struggle in professional tennis. While the world celebrates the Alcarazs and the Djokovics, it is the Stefano Travaglias—the journeymen pros who sacrifice everything for a chance to compete—who form the backbone of the sport, often at great personal cost.