A Polish tennis player about an athlete's finances. The road to success is full of expenses
Chwalińska started training tennis as a child. – My parents themselves would not have enough money to finance my career – Chwalińska recently admitted in an interview with tvpsport.pl.
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Maja Chwalińska in 2019
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Tomasz Barański / East News
Chwalińska: for those times, it was unheard of
Maja's father is now retired and previously worked as an electrician in a mine. Her mother, in turn, works as a receptionist at the Sports and Recreation Center in Dąbrowa Górnicza. — Thanks to the Talentiada campaign (an educational and sports project aimed at popularizing the game of tennis among the youngest – ed.), my parents did not even have to pay for tennis classes for two years. For those times, it was unheard of, admitted the tennis player.
As Chwalińska's career developed, the financial support she received from the Beskid Tennis Club, the Polish Tennis Association and private sponsors became increasingly important. — Without the help mentioned above, I certainly wouldn't be able to be where I am today, she emphasized.
You have to pay a lot first
In Poland, individual training with a coach costs around PLN 120-220 per hour, and renting a court costs up to PLN 140 per hour, depending on the season.
The road to mastery at the professional level takes about 12 years. Estimates of the Polish Tennis Association show that: it may cost up to 500-700 thousand in total. hole. (PLN 1.8-2.5 million), the final amount depends, among others, on on the training system and the number of tournament trips.
Maja Chwalińska in 2022 during the BNP Paribas Poland Open tournament
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Andrzej Iwanczuk / East News
The costs clearly increase with the level of sport. The tennis equipment itself – rackets, shoes and strings – initially costs around $300-500. per year, but at the junior level it increases to 1-2.5 thousand. hole.
There are also participation in tournaments: entry fees for ITF events usually range from about $70 to $160, and a single tournament trip can cost $300-500.
The British Lawn Tennis Association estimated that the cost of training a tennis player who starts his adventure with this sport at the age of five until he turns 18 is approximately PLN 385,000. hole.
It doesn't end there – the US Tennis Association already calculated in 2010 that continuing to play at the level of a highly competitive and professional player would cost over PLN 140,000. hole. every year.
In practice, this means that already at the junior stage, annual expenses can reach PLN 10,000-40,000. dollars, and in the case of a professional path and full training facilities, even 75-150 thousand. hole. annually.
Maja Chwalińska in 2025
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Tomasz Jastrzebowski/Foto Olimpik/East News
Where does the money come from for this? “You're balancing on the edge”
Where to get such money? — Depending on the stage of development, money comes from different sources. In Polish conditions, some of this money comes from clubs and federations, some from parents' pockets, and from about 14-15 years of age, it is also possible to support investors, i.e. the so-called sponsors – commented Tomasz Iwański, former head coach of the Polish Tennis Association, for Business Insider.
— In order for the income to be noticeable on your account, you must play at a level above 250th place in the world ranking. From the 100th place you can safely support yourself, when you are in the top 50 – you earn money – said former tennis player Joanna Sakowicz in an interview with Business Insider Polska.
— You really start making money in tennis only when you reach the top 100 of the WTA or ATP rankings. You have to think carefully beforehand, often balancing on the verge of insolvency. You're already making money, but the costs are huge – Paweł Ostrowski, former coach of, among others, told “Fakt” Marta Domachowska and German Angelique Kerber.
