Mark Hilton's retirement and its implications

Drew · Dec 18, 2005

RE: Mark Hilton's retirement and its implications

stevemcqueen · Futures level

Poor Mark Hilton must be tired of being completely skint, and that is surely on eof the reasons he has decided to throw in the towel. He earned $31k in prize money this year (according to the ATP web site) and I dont imagine he will have made much from other sources. £20k is nothing, his expenses will have taken up most of that, despite the fact he doesn't travel abroad. Staying away will seldom cost less than £50 a night in this country, he must have had financial help from his family to continue as long as he did. The guys he went to school with will all have jobs paying way more than £20k, and if they have to stay overnight on business its their employer who picks up the tab. Players ranked around 200 in the world make roughly $50k in prize money, this is not enough to live on. Renting a respectable flat pretty much anywhere respectable in England will leave little change from £7K a year, and double that in Greater London.

If Mark was the 250th best fottballer in the world, he'd be living in a big house, driving a fast car and earning £1m a year or more.

Re Andy Murray, I think £1m earning for 2006 is conservative. Let us assume he finshes 2006 ranked 30th. Players ranked around 30 earned $500K this year. Because Andy is an exciting new prospect, and sponsors realise that there is a good chance Henman and Rusedski will retire in 2006, Andy is hot property - I think he'll make around £1m in off court earnings without too much trouble.

Sheddie · administrator

Andy will definately earn 1 million next year. Sponsorship money will get him a lot as will the DVD he's doing with Jimmy Connors. Instructional DVDs, posters and other merchandise on Andy Murray is due to be released some time in 2006 which will surely get him at least 100 grand. Prize money should earn around £300-500K and also there will probably be TV ads, magazine columns - all sorts of offers for him.

It is a really tough life being a tennis player - what Steve said really indicates how vastly overpaid footballers are nowadays. 1st and 2nd division footballers now still earn really good livings with the introduction of satellite TV covering lower league football.
As one of the world's best tennis players around no 300 - considering how many thousands of hopefuls there are - and you're scraping around just to break even.

I think you can make a really decent living as a player ranked around 200 even if you are in your late 20s providing that you choose your tournaments carefully. Eg: Arvind Parmar. He says that he makes a good living mixing in top European and American challengers with ATP qualies. When he gets over 30, he'll probably retire and get a job for Sky or Eurosport or for the Beeb at Wimbledon - well he came as close as Cowan did to beating Sampras [and he's also had miles more success in challengers] !!

However, in order to do that you have to travel and if Mark Hilton wasn't prepared to do that, then there was no hope for him as a player. The pay on the British circuit is so minimal you can't make a living on there. Having won a match at Wimbledon and reached no 205 should enable him to do really well as a coach - he should be one of the elite performance coaches in Britain with those player qualifications.

Also, Hilton's only young, in a couple of years he might do a Simon Harston and return to the tour if he still has the hunger.

Bladetiger · Pro player

stevemcqueen wrote:

Poor Mark Hilton must be tired of being completely skint, and that is surely on eof the reasons he has decided to throw in the towel. He earned $31k in prize money this year (according to the ATP web site) and I dont imagine he will have made much from other sources. £20k is nothing, his expenses will have taken up most of that, despite the fact he doesn't travel abroad. Staying away will seldom cost less than £50 a night in this country, he must have had financial help from his family to continue as long as he did. The guys he went to school with will all have jobs paying way more than £20k, and if they have to stay overnight on business its their employer who picks up the tab. Players ranked around 200 in the world make roughly $50k in prize money, this is not enough to live on. Renting a respectable flat pretty much anywhere respectable in England will leave little change from £7K a year, and double that in Greater London. If Mark was the 250th best fottballer in the world, he'd be living in a big house, driving a fast car and earning £1m a year or more. Re Andy Murray, I think £1m earning for 2006 is conservative. Let us assume he finshes 2006 ranked 30th. Players ranked around 30 earned $500K this year. Because Andy is an exciting new prospect, and sponsors realise that there is a good chance Henman and Rusedski will retire in 2006, Andy is hot property - I think he'll make around £1m in off court earnings without too much trouble.

You are not at all wrong with regard to the money that 200-250 players earn the poster who said that he could make a comfortable living being ranked around 200 is having a right laugh.

Lots of players around 200 in the world are spnding more just in travel and hotels and hotel food than they are making.

Lack of money is almost always the biggest reason that the players pack up, just look at a player like Richard Bloomfield, look at the tournaments he has played this year, work out your travel costs, hotel costs in many cases, hotel food etc and then compare it with his earnings and tell me how much you've got left.

I bet it's not a lot more than f**k all.

Sheddie · administrator

thanks for clarifying that Bladetiger. I was just going by what Arvind Parmar told me.

I can imagine that most players between 200-1600 are pretty much broke when you see the pay of some of the futures events

Siobhan · Social player

Im so sad that hes not playing anymore, I really supported him

Sheddie · administrator

Info [from another source]:

I'm not surprised Hilton retired - he wasn't going to go any further and needed to start a career in something else - he was very successful early on as he was stronger and stalkier than most the boys when younger but as they all grew and are now much taller and broader than can cover the court more and achieve more. I used to travel around Europe in particular a lot and it is exhausting - in itself that burns you out and I know he hated it. Its been said many times but it really is true to really make it in tennis you need to be over 6 foot... even in the woman's game look at the likes of the Williams and sharapova - they are exceptionally tall and strong... as colin said he was serving 'bombs' but without that extra height you just cannot do that - nor do you have the wingspan to cover the net so well.

Sheddie · administrator

It has also been confirmed that Daniel Kiernan has retired. Kiernan was once Britain's number 2 in doubles but I think that the new ATP doubles rules made it difficult for him to continue as he was a doubles specialist.

Bladetiger · Pro player

David wrote:

It has also been confirmed that Daniel Kiernan has retired. Kiernan was once Britain's number 2 in doubles but I think that the new ATP doubles rules made it difficult for him to continue as he was a doubles specialist.

I think you'll find the reason that Dan gave up was far more interesting and amusing

than the new ATP doubles rules, but as it's probably libellous I'll have to tell you if I ever meet you.

Sheddie · administrator

You've got me intrigued now Bladetiger. Could you tell me about it in an email ?

By the way, I've been submitting my websites on Jamie, Colin and Alex to some directories and I submitted your Sherwood site aswell.

Bladetiger · Pro player

David wrote:

You've got me intrigued now Bladetiger. Could you tell me about it in an email ?

NO NOT REALLY BUT IT WILL BE WORTH THE WAIT IF WE EVER MEET UP. MAYBE JAMIE BAKER WILL KNOW THE STORY SO YOU COULDASK HIM TO TELL YOU.

By the way, I've been submitting my websites on Jamie, Colin and Alex to some directories and I submitted your Sherwood site aswell. THANX VERY MUCH

Sheddie · administrator

I'll ask Alex and see if he knows

Are you going to the Wrexham Challenger Bladetiger ?