'I deserve it' - GB qualifier wants prize money change
British qualifier Oliver Tarvet has called for a change in United States college rules after being unable to claim all the prize money he will earn from reaching the Wimbledon main draw.Tarvet, 21, moved into the first round - where players receive £66,000 - after winning his third and final qualifying match on Thursday.The Englishman studies at the University of San Diego and has developed his game in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) system.Under NCAA rules, players are restricted in how much they can claim from professional tournaments.On Friday, Tarvet explained players are allowed $10,000 (£7,290) in profit every year, as well as any expenses incurred during the events."I know there have been complaints about it but I don't want to speak too much about it and overstep the mark," he said.
"But in my opinion, I've worked hard to get this money. I don't feel like it's undeserved the money that I've got. "I think it would be good to see a change in the rules of the NCAA, but at the same time, I don't want to get involved. It's not really my place. "But I've done well this week. I think I deserve this money."Earlier this year, American college player Reese Brantmeier launched a class action, external against the NCAA over the restrictions.Brantmeier, 20, was joined by Australian player Maya Joint - who forfeited more than $200,000 (£145,000) in US Open prize money after reaching the fourth round last year - as a co-plaintiff.
Black players still 'face barrier' in tennis
Britain's Jay Clarke believes there is still a "barrier" stopping young black tennis players from developing in the UK.Last month, the LTA launched its 'equity, diversity and inclusion plan', saying it will "not be satisfied until the diversity of everyone involved in tennis reflects the diversity of the communities in the country".Clarke, 26, is among several British top-200 players with black or mixed heritage, including Heather Watson, Paul Jubb and George Loffhagen."It is nice to see more black players breaking through and hopefully we can inspire more kids to pick up a racquet," said 26-year-old Clarke, who plays Dan Evans in the Wimbledon first round."I think there is still a barrier and the sport is not amazingly accessible for black players. "The LTA have done good things to resurface park courts and give people opportunities."The most important thing is seeing people like yourself playing and doing well on the big stages. Representation is important."This summer, Wimbledon is marking the 50th anniversary of Arthur Ashe's victory at the All England Club - the first black tennis player to win a Grand Slam men's singles titleAshe, who won three major titles, has been one of Clarke's biggest inspirations after being told the American player's story."Having a black man win Wimbledon was amazing for my dad to see and that was passed on to me," Clarke added."I watched highlights of him when I was younger and my dad used to get me to play differently - that's how I learned to play the sport."
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'If you look at British players like Hannah [Klugman, 16] and Mika [Stojsavljevic, last year's US Open junior champion at 15], how old are they? She's not too far from them.' (Klugman and Stojsavljevic have been given wild cards to play in the main draw at Wimbledon this year.) They don't have plans to train abroad, as Lembe explains. 'Tennis is still a bit elitist. You can have talent, but if you're not supported financially, it's really difficult. Having their dad as their coach helps.' Being mini pros also means having a nutrition plan. 'We don't go crazy because they're still children,' Lembe says. 'But I remember going to a county cup and this dad walked in with chocolate doughnuts. Nolwaine was asking, 'I can't eat that?' And I said, 'If you want to perform well, you can't. Sorry.' ' The sisters are, Lainee says, 'very competitive, but only when we play each other'. 'Family can be supportive but sometimes I get stressed,' Nolwaine says. 'I put pressure on myself to win when they watch me.' 'I always tell my girls, I am not raising tennis players,' Lembe says. 'If we set the goal of them becoming professional we put added pressure on them, whereas if they're enjoying it, they will progress in the right direction.' • Why pampered top ten are wrong to demand more money from grand slams Except, here's the harsh truth: you have to be prepared to lose week in, week out. Winning is rare in a sport where only one person lifts the trophy. For every player who makes it, hundreds won't. And only a handful of the elite get anywhere near grand slam prize money — £2.7 million for last year's Wimbledon singles winners. 'To make a living, you need to be in the world's Top 100,' Probert says. 'There are a lot of players in the Top 250 who are struggling. When you're younger, the financial pressure is your parents'. But when you're paying your own bills and the only way to relieve the burden is to win, that's a lot of pressure.' Tennis First has handed out grants of up to £10,000 to about 350 juniors, but just 20 have made it into the Top 250. 'It isn't a huge number,' Probert concedes. 'But British tennis is in a strong position now, with great role models. More players are coming through.' One of those is Liv Zingg from Barnes in southwest London — although she's speaking to me from Nairobi, where she's just triumphed in an International Tennis Federation tournament. The 14-year-old, who started playing with friends, aged 5, in a Notting Hill park, has recently taken a big step on the path to going pro: leaving home. She and her mother, Nicole, a former figure skater and until recently Liv's fitness coach, first moved to Mallorca, where Liv had a scholarship at the Rafa Nadal Academy. Now they're at the Francesca Schiavone training facility in northern Italy, which her family is paying for with the help of Tennis First (academies can cost £40,000-£60,000 a year). Liv's days are carefully structured. 'I do three hours of tennis and three hours of fitness. On Wednesdays, a physio comes. And we always break from 12-2pm — the Italians like their lunch.' She is 'happy', but there are sacrifices that come with not living a regular teenage life — leaving friends behind, being home schooled, only seeing her dad and sister during holidays or if she has a tournament in the UK. 'I started doing trips at 12 and I had trouble with staying away from home. I was crying. I was kind of bullied at one stage too. But I've got used to it,' she says. In September she's going to join the acclaimed National Tennis Academy in Loughborough, with a fully funded package including schooling, meals, accommodation, travel and coaching. It will mean living by herself for the first time and sharing dorms with her peers (ie the competition). 'I'll be able to go home every weekend and it's only two hours away, so I think I'll be OK,' she says. Her commitment is, at least, paying off. Liv is ranked third in Europe for her age, plays for Britain and has been invited to take part in the prestigious under-14s tournament at Wimbledon during the championships. Oh, and she signed with talent agency IMG at the age of 12; that's 6 years earlier than Jack Draper. On Instagram she's known as 'Super Liv' and has 4,000 followers. One recent post read, 'You accept it. Cry it out if you need to, then force a smile. You move on. Be relentless. Adapt and grow. Work harder. Work smarter.' Although, Liv says, 'I've never posted anything myself; that's all my mum.' Her dream? 'To become world No 1 and hold the record for winning the most grand slams. That would be cool.' 'That ambition,' Probert says, 'combined with hard work, is what it takes to become the next Jack or Emma.' Which is why I don't bat an eyelid when Nolwaine says, softly but surely, 'I'd like to win Wimbledon.' Or when her sister turns to me and smiles. 'Me too.'
