Odds of Getting In
It's tough to get into some country clubs, let alone the ATP or WTA Tours. When you consider that most tournament fields start with only thirty-two or sixty-four players, you might understand that your odds aren't amazing. And they're not. There may be fewer kids who dream of playing professional tennis than those who want to be the next LeBron or Peyton Manning, but there are still plenty of them out there, and they've got the same designs that you do.
Just listen to your instructor, or coach, or whomever. They'll be real with you about your honest chances of turning this game into a career. If you're hearing from all directions that you’re good, but not great, either throw all caution to the wind and don't complain when you go to pick up your first welfare check, or else keep tennis as a hobby and get your degree. It may be a bitter pill to swallow, but there have been darker tragedies in this world.
Plus, you may find the actual odds discouraging. At seven years old, maybe five million kids around the world dream of being a tennis pro (or maybe an astronaut or superhero). By twelve, most have moved on and that number is whittled down to a million. By fifteen, if you're not one of about 100,000 kids already competing in junior competitions, good luck. By eighteen, we're looking at maybe only 10,000 kids who even have a shot. And out of those 10,000, only ten a year will actually make it as a pro.
So you have to ask yourself—are you really the one-in-ten-thousand who's going to break apart from the rest of the pack?