Two ex-pros face off – Nikki vs “Bebo” Hernandez (170 ATP)

How about a patreon only of videos having beers? hahaha

It seems like low margin tennis on rally balls yet they are so consistent with it.

You mentioned that his all time fav was the Pure Control, I’m guessing the extended tour (16×20) or the 95+ (18×20) but which one? Lol

I can't tell if Nikki has good footwork, or if he's just too lazy to move. But his game is very federer-esque i.e stays close to baseline to drive through the backhand so he isn't push back on that side, so maybe thats why he isn't moving too much. He also has great technique to compensate.

That was bloody AMAZING!

And the rewards for a pro tennis player suck. Tennis HQ (Karue Sell's channel) explained that 76% of pro players earn less than a Starbucks barista. Just to give some context, a few years ago, Noah Rubin was ranked around 125 in the world. In the previous 12 months, he earned around $150,000 in prizemoney. But, after his costs (flights, hotels, coach, strength training, physio, massage, strings, balls, rackets, shoes, clothes, diet, hitting partners), he was left with around $25,000 in profit. This is for a person who is the 125th best in the WORLD, of what is the worlds 4th most popular sport. Imagine what the 125th best doctor, or lawyer earned? Similarly, that year, the NBA draft had a player who was picked 125th. He was given a contract for… $11.7m.

And the basket baller wasn't the 125th best player in the world, either. There were already many players IN teams, along with leagues overseas as well. If I was to guess, the basketballer would have been maybe the 1000th best player in the world.

The disparity is just terrible.

Part of the problem, is that the pro sports in the US (NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, etc) have reached an agreement between the players, and the administrators, where all revenues are split 50/50 with the players. However, in tennis, players get around 7% of the revenues. And this STINKS. I have never met a spectator who said "yes, I'm happy to come to a tournament because of the administrators, and I'm happy that 93% of the money goes to them." NEVER.

In tennis, the administrators are robbing players blind. The players need to get together with the administrators (ATP, WTA, ITF), and DEMAND that all the tournaments fall under a single banner, and negotiate with the various TV channels and other outlets with a SINGLE voice, as they do in the US.

Another example; look at the WTA 125 in Saint Malo. Sloane Stephens won her first match, and earned the huge prizemoney of… €1,086. Are you fucking kidding me? She won the final, and won €6,960. 5 pro match wins, for that??? In a one on one sport. Chances are, after flights, hotels, and food, etc, not just for her but for her coach coach, hitting partner, physio, etc, she made a loss.

How the hell can a sport exist where even the winner of a tournament makes a loss? What does that say for everyone else who didnt get the "big prize"???

This stinks. It absolutely STINKS.

So why do they do it then? Because they want the points, to enable them to get into bigger tournaments, where they might be able to do something, and make it worthwhile, all while crossing their fingers that they dont get injured, after making a financial loss by winning a smaller tournament.

What a joke.

And I look at these two players, and as a tennis player myself, I recognise their skills are VERY high level, and they deserve to be compensated for 20+ years of hard work to reach this level.

If I knew back then what I know now, I would NEVER have picked up a racket myself, nor offered to help my daughter pursue the sport. But, too late now, I am in love with the sport, and will follow it until it breaks my heart, as I fully expect it to.

hey Jonas your work is amazing!

great introduction 👍 nice video