By Godwin Mutembei
One of the most eminent and prime tournaments on the ATP and WTA Tours is the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California. This is where magical records are made. Many tennis players globally contend to get an opportunity, however most of them are cut short by tremendous challenges they face as the hope to make a mark in their Tennis profession.
Experienced tennis players like Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton create stiff competition to the upcoming rising stars. In addition to this high travel expenses, mental fatigue and minimal world class tournament exposure lues tough encounters towards emerging tennis players success.
The Indian Wells tournament is a dream destination for many aspiring players, but the reality is that it can be financially out of reach for a lot of them. For most young, up-and-coming athletes, Indian Wells isn’t just a stop on the tour – it’s a major goal.
However, getting there takes more than just talent on the court; it requires a hefty financial commitment, which many emerging players find hard to manage. "Money is the biggest barrier for up-and-coming players," says Ben Rothenberg, a well-respected tennis journalist with The New York Times and Tennis.com. With over a decade of experience covering the sport, Rothenberg highlights how the costs have skyrocketed, especially for those without substantial sponsorships or support from national federations.
"Just attending a tournament like Indian Wells for the qualifying rounds can easily set you back five hundred thousand Kenyan Shillings when you consider travel, lodging, and other expenses. And if you don’t make it past the early rounds, you might not even break." Many young athletes compete on the ATP and WTA Challenger Tours, where the prize money is significantly lower than at the top-tier events.
With little financial security, the pressure to scrape together enough funds to stay in the game is always looming. For players hailing from countries with limited tennis infrastructure and fewer sponsorship options, like India, Brazil, or parts of Eastern Europe, this financial strain can feel nearly impossible to overcome. Take Ananya Verma, for instance, a 22-year-old player from New Delhi who’s just outside the top 200 in the WTA rankings. She knows all too well the financial hurdles of the sport.
“I’ve been fortunate to secure some local sponsors, but they only cover a small part of what I need to stay competitive. I still depend on my family to help with travel costs to these tournaments,” she shares while getting ready for her practice session at the qualifying grounds of Indian Wells. "It's risheartening to think about how much money goes into just getting a chance, especially when some of my peers have it so much easier.
"Actually, according to Sports Illustrated tennis writer Jon Wertheim, tennis's financial deficit is wider than ever. "For players ranked between 100 and 250, it's a daily struggle," writes Wertheim in his report on the current state of tennis finances. "They need to win, but they many times don't have the means to get into majors. Every tournament is a risk.
"While the price is steep, the psychological cost of being a gypsy tennis player is no less gigantic. Tennis is marketed as an individual sport, but for young, unknown players, the pressure to perform without the trappings that stars have at a mental cost can result in loneliness and burnout.
This year, we’ve seen more tennis professionals speak openly about the psychological challenges they face. Top players like Naomi Osaka and Simona Halep have been vocal about their struggles with anxiety and the mental toll of professional tennis. However, for players like Dev Singh, a 24-year-old from Mumbai, the mental health challenges are compounded by financial stress. "I play by myself most of the time," says Singh, who's ranked in the ATP's 300s.
"It's hard to get pumped up when you're always on the move from city to city, having no team and no support base to push you through tough losses or exhaustion. When you get eliminated in the first round, you just have to pick yourself up and try again, but sometimes it doesn't work." The intense competition adds to the mental strain. Even reaching the main draw at Indian Wells, a tournament that draws some of the world's top players, is an enormous accomplishment.
Singh and other qualifying round players, however, have to constantly remind themselves that they are only one match away from losing the tournament, which can be discouraging after weeks of training and travel. He goes on, "There are times when it seems like you're risking everything for a chance that might never materialize.
"I've lost more games than I'd like to admit, and every time, it seems like I'm getting farther away from the dream. Ben Rothenberg discusses the topic of mental health aspect in his coverage of the sport illustrated, highlighting that while world class players have luxury of sports psychology and extensive teams, up and coming players have no mental health support.
“It is rarely for younger players, mostly those outside the top 1,00 to have access to psychological service and proper coaching staff. They are left to fend for themselves emotionally.” Rothenberg writes Tennis.com column. The absence of support networks and infrastructure is one of the main obstacles to success for emerging players. In nations like the US, Spain, and France, where players have access to top-tier academies, coaching, and development initiatives, the tennis ecosystem is significantly more developed.
However, the path is more difficult, and they have fewer resources to help them compete at the highest level for players from nations like India. According to Ananya VermWe, "We don't have the same kind of tennis culture or infrastructure as in Europe or the U.S." "Having access to better coaching, better facilities, and better training is more important than simply having more money. Getting by with what we have is often the best we can do.
Jon Wertheim highlights this in his article the Sport illustrated. He clearly states that the problem for countries with minimal tennis infrastructure is that their players are at immediate disadvantage. They not only face financial constraints but also lack the support that top tennis nations can offer to young motivated rising stars.
Even with the presented challenges, a handful of the players showcase interesting determination to work past it. Ananda explains how her individual story lacking the coverage it deserves since the focus is on the higher players, which goes to show how survival of the fittest is a core principle of the industry.
This tournament and many smaller competitions provide international exposure and assist players in establishing their careers. “Making it through the qualifying rounds is tough, although winning even once can be career-defining,” says Verma, referring to how a single win opens the floodgates to multiple opportunities without any powered advertising from companies. Despite setting realistic expectations, Ananya’s optimism is refreshing. “I consider myself one of the lowest-ranked players here, and that is okay. Being low in the ranks takes a lot of pressure off my shoulders, and Icano work towards my personal goals,” she smiles.
“The future is unchained, endless effort combined with concentration can lead to endless possibilities” As the Indian Wells tournament 2025 progresses, the focus inescapably will beam on the big hitters — those already well ensconced in the upper strata of the sport.
But we must also remember the thousands of players like Ananya and Dev, who keep battling the financial, mental, and structural obstacles in their path. The road to tennis success can be longer and messier than it appears, but the grit of these young players gives a hint of hope for the future of tennis. The road to Indian Wells is long and tough, although for those courageous enough to walk it, the outcome is always worth every step.
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