“Novak Djokovic is right at the top & he wants to stay there” Judy Murray on the financial hurdles of trying to beat the top players

Novak Djokovic has a large entourage who deal with everything, both on and off the court, and this team enables him and other top players to stay at the top of the game, according to Andy Murray’s mother

Novak Djokovic relies on a vast number of paid experts to enable him to prepare for every match in minute detail right down to the playing statistics & style of the player he will face in the next round. And it’s this detail and financial investment that enables stars like Novak Djokovic to constantly review and evaluate their competitors just like any other business would do.

Judy Murray was talking exclusively to tennishead from The Campus at Quinta do Lago where she runs holidays tennis camps.

We asked her to comment on the fact that the top 10 highest paid female athletes in the world for 2019 are all tennis players.

Judy said, “Tennis has always been in a very strong position compared to other sports particularly with the strength of the Grand Slams. They are mixed events with men and ladies receiving very similar exposure in terms of media coverage and very similar opportunities for endorsements because the profile is high.

“When you say things about the earning power of the top female tennis players you also have to remember that in an individual sport the athletes are responsible for all their own costs, in a team sport they are not.

“Even though that might be what they made in prize money you have to remember that you get taxed on that prize money and you have to pay your coaching team and your physio. But not just all their fees but all their expenses as well and you’ve got all your own expenses, so sometimes it looks a lot healthier than it actually is. I always want to say that when I see the list of top paid players in tennis that half of that will be gone on tax and then you have significant outlay because you pay your own costs.”

And the better you get the more your costs increase?

“Well yes because your entourage is likely to be bigger because you need your team on the sports side and your team on the business side. You can end up paying for two separate teams of staff and not just the salaries but all the expenses related to them as well as they are travelling with you.

“Only around 120 male and female tennis players can actually make a living out of playing tennis.

“Tennis is a very tough sport and only the players at the top can afford that kind of entourage but having said that I think both the ATP and WTA are doing a very good job of providing match footage and statistics that are better than they’ve ever been before. If you are at the top of your game or business you have to be constantly reviewing what your competitors are doing and tennis isn’t any different from that.

“Novak’s right at the top of the game and has been for a long time and he wants to stay there so it is another business expense but it’s an absolute necessity”

Judy Murray was coaching at The Campus in Portugal last week where she’s been running her unique style of tennis camps for the past 12 months.

She says, “It’s a very attractive set up for the tennis at The Campus with the 4 hard courts and the 2 clay courts and a club house called the Pavilion. It’s lovely, you can sit outside and see everything that’s going on across the courts so whether that’s parents watching kids playing or adults watching other adults it’s just a really chilled place to be which has helped create a nice atmosphere. The Portuguese coaching team is good, the head coach is a very good player and coach with a nice easy manner who is very popular with everybody and you need somebody like that who pulls the whole thing together”.

The Campus is one of Europe’s newest state-of-the-art multi- sports venues, created for elite athletes, teams and families. It is already becoming popular with Premier League football and rugby teams, Olympic and Para-Olympic squads, performance athletes and coaches taking advantage of the perfect training climate and using The Campus as their winter training base.

The recently opened High Performance Centre has cemented The Campus’ reputation as the outstanding location for holidaymakers looking for the ultimate sporting break, with dance classes, yoga, swimming and state-of-the-art saunas, steam rooms and wellness areas adding to the appeal.

All visitors will experience world-class tennis and padel courts, a wonderful cycling centre led by Paralympic gold medallist Mark Rohan, as well as a top-class swimming facility and a wellness section of the High Performance Centre that offers all visitors the chance to unwind a er an exhausting work-out.

Guests can stay at the magnificent The Magnolia Hotel, situated on the doorstep of The Campus and Quinta do Lago resort. It has a range of accommodation including 74 comfortable rooms, three suites and seven cottages. The rooms have been fully refurbished recently and the five-star service will help guests unwind and de-stress at the end of their day. There is a free shuttle bus service to The Campus for all guests.

For more information please contact T: +351 289 381 220 | E: [email protected] or visit www.quintadolago.com/en/the-campus

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