haha, not often I get the chance to write about the British players for them but with Fitzy teaming up with Sloane, it was too good an opportunity to miss. 

Unfortunately I can't see Fitzy returning to the tour anytime soon. He says he's not ruling it out a few years down the line and as a hitting partner he's still able to maintain his level and get exposure to top quality tennis. 

However the problem is two-fold. (a) He believes he would need serious financial backing to be able to go from 400ish to the top 300 and higher. (b) He doesn't have a home anymore with both parents retiring and relocating. He was based in London with his girlfriend but they split up. 

So he needs to be able to provide for himself and being a hitting partner/occasional coach enables him to do that.  

I asked him whether Sloane's win over Sharapova was basically down to him. He was quick to reply that it was all her :)

Oi, my cat objects to that remark. . .

Yes, it is really good to hear. I found Fitzy's multiple problems really quite upsetting - I hope it all works out well for him.

And that he doesn't forget to post here occasionally. . .

So is Sheddie this guy here writing another piece ?

plus.google.com/102961143476355697901/posts

I wonder, as an amateur economist, how much a hitting partner gets paid.

Now Sloane Stephens is not a job-creation charity, and she (or her mother) will be well aware of market forces. And assuming that all travel and subsistence expenses are covered, loads of guys would do that job for peanuts. So this will act as major downwards pressure on the remuneration.

I'd guess somewhere in the range $500-750 per week, coming out at around £17-25,000 pa. And while that doesn't sound too shabby, I'd also guess it's a "zero-hours" contract on a week-to-week basis.

It's an interesting question, Ratty. And, like you, I doubt you're going to get rich on the back of it.

But I'm not sure there'll be 'loads of guys' who'd do it for 'peanuts'. Those who are trying to make it on the tour themselves obviously can't. Those who are older and have given up/retired from the tour will often have families/girlfriends/whatever and not be willing to travel like that for that sort of pay. Some might even be too 'old' i.e. play an 'old-fashioned' game of tennis i.e. there'd be absolutely no point a female player today having a hitting partner who basically only had a sliced backhand. And most other very good youngish players (who've chosen not to pursue tennis) will be pursuing other career paths (or aren't actually that good in the first place and so don't have the level).

I'm not sure there's actually that many young men who have the right level and who are also free to make that commitment as a 'full-time' hitting partner. (And who are pleasant, trustworthy young men).

I also think that having a known and trusted entourage is particularly important to certain players. After all, most players (from what I understand) don't have designated hitting partners - Fitzy only got into this because he put his name down on the Wimbledon list of 'available hitting partners' who are just people you hire by the hour. And Federer (definitely) and Djoko (I think) and a couple of others, including Sloane, just hired him like that. Like you, I bet there are plenty of players down on the US Open hitting partner list.
But if Sloane (who is young and very successful and very much in the public eye) has found someone who is also young and 'pleasant', and hits well, and is discrete and doesn't blab off to the press,, then I think she may well pay quite reasonably for that and everyone will be happy.

Great match, just saw the end of it. Fitzy trying to look composed on the sidelines whilst the crowd was going nuts.