Here is advice for any aspiring athlete hoping to make it big in the world of sport. Not everyone makes it. You will be familiar with the stories of Tiger Woods and the Williams sisters but not every parent that starts their kid early sees their labour bear much fruit. Moreover for those who do end up in the professional ranks only a select few crack the elite group. Simply put not everyone can be a Roger Federer or a Rafael Nadal. South Africa’s number-two singles player Rik De Voest sat down with us to share his story as a travelling pro on the ATP World Tour.
De Voest started tennis at a very young age and says he was just fortunate that he had a skill, “Up until 13 I tried everything and then in high school I kind of realised that if I was going to do something this was the age to do it. I also found that every time there was a conflict of interest when it came to sport I would choose tennis. When I was 16 I got to number one in the country in my age group.”
Talent and skill is not enough. Any youngster needs the support of their parents and the young De Voest was no different, “They said I should always follow through on my decisions. Then I started playing in international competitions. I left high school and travelled full-time. I started playing on the tour on the Satellites as they were called those days (today they’re known as Futures). Every year I halved my ranking. I was about 1300 in my first year and then 700 the next year and then 350 and then I got to around 220.”
De Voest says that was the moment where he started to believe he could make it, “As soon as you get to a ranking where you can get into the qualifiers for the Grand Slams which is about 240, 250 then I feel like you can start thinking seriously about making a living playing tennis. As a kid I would watch Wimbledon on TV and then go outside and make a grass court and play against my brother. It was definitely a very special moment when I was able to play a match at Wimbledon.”
The reality is that tennis is an expensive sport and no one just walks on to the courts of the ATP World Tour without putting in the hours and the financial sacrifices, says De Voest. One of the ways the Milan, Italy-born South African made extra cash was by playing singles as well as doubles, “In the beginning it was a combination of both financial and playing. In the Challengers the way it works is that as long as you are in the main event you would get a free hotel room so I figured I may as well have made some extra money playing the doubles. If you did lose early in the singles you could still carry on playing instead of training for six days so it helped keep me match-sharp and work on things like serve, return and volleys. Plus you could have a good week in doubles and a bad week in singles and you can then take some confidence out of that. I enjoyed playing both when I was younger but as I started getting older it takes a lot of wear and tear on your body. I then realised that my body couldn’t do it that much anymore plus the rewards in singles are far greater unless you get to the top 40 or 50 in the doubles rankings.”
The key of course to reach those echelons is by improving your world ranking. It can be a double-edged sword but as a veteran of the tour, De Voest is well-placed to offer sound advice, “If you’re in Europe there are a lot of league matches where you can supplement your income. But when you’re at that ranking (250) you can’t afford to travel with a coach or a trainer and that’s kinda hard. If you want to be able to do it full-time with a coach and trainer then I would say you need to be at least 100 in the world. That’s where the money is.”
And while the rewards can be great, not every player is raking in US$1 000 000 in appearance fees every week. De Voest explains the average expenses of a player on tour, “The way it’s structured you get your hotel free as long as you’re in the main draw. All expenses other than that need to be covered by yourself and that includes flights and additional acquaintances. They will provide you with a meal at least. But you pay for all your stringing, practicing, your coach and it all adds up. Some guys are fortunate in that they have sponsors that will take care of that sort of thing. Other guys need to supplement their income.”
The road to the top of the tennis tree is certainly a long and arduous one. Players like Boris Becker arriving at Wimbledon and winning at the age of 17 seem to be of a bygone era now. De Voest cautions against comparing yourself to anyone else, “The older I get the more I start to learn about what works for me individually. You’ll get a lot of advice from people but I think the key is to filter out what works for you however you only start to work that out when you’re actually out there training and playing. When you’re young you recover instantly but as I’ve gotten older I’ve realised the importance in value of looking after my body after practices, after work outs, after matches and that’s become very important. The game has really changed in the last 5-7 years. It has become a lot more physical. Guys are hitting the ball harder and bigger than before. Matches have become longer and more demanding on the body. Youngsters might say, ‘Yeah, I’m in the gym’ but I was also in the gym when I was younger but I only did the arm curls to look good but as I’ve aged I’ve learned to do the tennis-specific exercises like the shoulders for example that need to be worked on. Tennis is a very one-sided sport in that you use your one side more than the other and considerably so and the body then becomes ill-aligned.”
The 33-year old says the reality is that if you continue playing and practicing and putting in your hours on court, you have to get better. “You simply have to. You can’t not put in the hours and not improve. There will be setbacks but as long as you remain focused you will move up the rankings,” says the country’s Davis Cup stalwart, who has appeared in 24 ties for his country since 2002 winning 26 and losing 18 of his singles and doubles rubbers, including a famous marathon five-set triumph over Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen at Groenkloof in 2010.
As at 3 March 2014, Rik De Voest is ranked 186 in the ATP Singles rankings (career-high 110 in 2006) and 386 in Doubles (best of 39 in 2009) and has helped himself to US$1 344 871 in prize money since turning pro in August 1999.