Dan Cox

The Knight · Challenger qualifying

RE: Dan Cox Injury.

steven · Tennis legend

Rather than starting a new thread, I thought it was best to resurrect this one to flag up this article about Dan's latest injury and recovery plans:

http://bit.ly/U4amh0

steven · Tennis legend

Dan Cox

Shhh · Challenger level

That is a hell of a read isn't it.

I do not personally support players being subsidised to be average but, I cannot see a pathway a player can try to go down to get to the top with these new changes. They just look like cuts, pure and simple. Even if we are all missing the point, the communication from the LTA over all of this has certainly been lacking.

I have often wondered whether someone from here could gain an interview with LTA to pose some reasonable questions foranswers/explanations. Maybe even present a couple of "supporter" requests. This is just a social media forum but, an established well balanced one and Steven seems to have respected following on Twitter. Could such a thing happen?

-- Edited by Shhh on Tuesday 10th of February 2015 10:49:13 AM

emma · Strong Club Player

awe, what a good article.

well done to Dan for speaking out, that takes courage. he has always struck me as being a gutsy player and its sad to read of his difficulties but I hope that, by being honest, he will get the help I think he deserves.

Spectator · All-time great

It is a good and honest article.

The issue seems to me not that people are asking for subsidies, but that there is quite simply no way of earning money from tennis in this country at a basic level. The LTA doesn't seem to grasp that a system in which there is more competition locally that offers players a chance to earn and local people some chance to watch might just accomplish both its grassroots engagement objective and the creation of a cadre of players that could progress and inspire others. And then removing people from the bonus system - and cutting the prizes for the club tournaments - leaves them properly stranded.

If we simply want to say that this isn't a tennis country, and that's it, all well and good. But if people want to continue to have tennis played professionally - and it seems the LTA does - they have to work out some way of making it a viable profession, and not just for five or six people.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

This article reminds me so much of one written by Jamie Baker shortly after he retired from tennis. Specifically I am talking about the mental stress of travelling alone and not having moral support on hand at difficult times.

Several posters on here have commented on the "travelling in packs" philosophy and Dan's comments about his experience in India (which I am sure is not a one-off occurence) really support the strategy of at least having other players around for emotional support. Clearly though, scheduling is not that easy and there will be times when you have to travel alone.

As for my own emotional response to this article, it made me go straight to the up coming entry lists to see where Dan was playing next in the hope that I could go along and offer just a small smidgeon of moral support myself.

I really hope that someone in the LTA reads this article and has a rethink of their latest strategy. My fear is however, that at 24 years old, the LTA have already cast Dan on the scrap heap to focus on "the next generation".

When will this madness end. #20JamesWards

paulisi · Tennis legend

I think this highlights several issues that is wrong with tennis:

1. Firstly that a player with Dan's ranking cannot make enough to cover his costs
2. The loneliness of travelling all year round
3. The lack of financial support from the governing body
4. The lack of private sponsors interested in supporting players (other than the bank of mum and dad, Gary Lewis etc)

I feel sorry for Dan and I can understand why the likes of George C, Jack C and Ashley H have quit. I'm sure there will be more to follow.

The likes of Ed, Dan S, Brydan, Alex W, Marcus and Milts must all be in the same boat and in some ways it is who you know and not how good you are.

If the players can survive the year then if the iTF changes come into fruition than more +H tournaments will come into play and costs of tournament play will reduce significantly.

Jan · Hall of fame

Well done Dan for a very honest interview. And good luck to him in his quest!

indiana · Tennis legend

Hmm, the "next generation" ?

In the guys we have two, Kyle and Liam doing very well and noone else under 24 ranked in the top 500. Yes, I have mentioned this before, but I find it pretty stark. Cameron and Farris, at college, are prospects, but there don't seem too many others pushing for that top 500 and then beyond. And there is no junior aged GB male player with a senior ranking.

There seemed much more energy with progressing players in the 400 to 700 bracket a year or so ago - mayve the enthusiasm is being knocked out of them, especialyy as each further potential help to income is shut down.

Thank gawd we have the 89/90 generation helping fill up the rankings, most of whom have the potential to further improve, having had varied paths to where they are now. This group were virtually pronounced as failures two or three years ago by Roger Draper in saying the LTA then needed to focus more on the next generation. His regime are starting to look comparatively caring and supportive!

However, most seem to not be seen as top 100 potential and / or too old ( ! )

That core of our rankings, guys that others might aspire to, and then push on beyond, is in danger of getting thoroughly disillusioned. Top 300 and close to it 24 yos should most certainly not be so out of the LTA minds as Dan Cox and some of his peers appear to be.

Many of us are saying much the same things in different ways in various threads, mainly because we don't "get it". Yes, would love to hear from the LTA what "it" is and them address the concerns of so many players and followers.

I fear for what ( more particularly ) the guys' top 25 table will look like in a few years, and I feel depth is important.

#20JamesWards

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Shhh wrote:
That is a hell of a read isn't it.

I do not personally support players being subsidised to be average but, I cannot see a pathway a player can try to go down to get to the top with these new changes. They just look like cuts, pure and simple. Even if we are all missing the point, the communication from the LTA over all of this has certainly been lacking.
I have often wondered whether someone from here could gain an interview with LTA to pose some reasonable questions foranswers/explanations. Maybe even present a couple of "supporter" requests. This is just a social media forum but, an established well balanced one and Steven seems to have respected following on Twitter. Could such a thing happen?

-- Edited by Shhh on Tuesday 10th of February 2015 10:49:13 AM

Yes. Even leaving aside the question of 'to fund or not to fund', the communication seems to have been dreadful. And there is no excuse. The fury that was unleashed by the British clubs when the whole club tennis system was changed this year by the LTA, without (seemingly) any consultation whatsoever and with most clubs only finding out on the grapevine seems completely justified. What were the LTA thinking? They are there to represent their members, those who pay their licence fees. There is no excuse. Equally, as Dan says, if you need to make cuts, say why and show how it is portioned out. You need people to be onside and pulling together. Regardless of whether they think 24 year-olds are worth funding or not.

all_rounder · Junior player

I'll be gutted if Dan has to leave the tour. Honest, hard-working and committed. Thought he was brilliant in Glasgow last week. I'm so frustrated with the LTA it's beyond belief.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Spectator wrote:
It is a good and honest article.

The issue seems to me not that people are asking for subsidies, but that there is quite simply no way of earning money from tennis in this country at a basic level. The LTA doesn't seem to grasp that a system in which there is more competition locally that offers players a chance to earn and local people some chance to watch might just accomplish both its grassroots engagement objective and the creation of a cadre of players that could progress and inspire others. And then removing people from the bonus system - and cutting the prizes for the club tournaments - leaves them properly stranded.

If we simply want to say that this isn't a tennis country, and that's it, all well and good. But if people want to continue to have tennis played professionally - and it seems the LTA does - they have to work out some way of making it a viable profession, and not just for five or six people.

As a separate point from above, I completely agree with this too.

The LTA can claim, quite justifiably, I believe, that no other federation directly funds its player ranked WR 250, say, age 24-25. Therefore why should the LTA ? It obviously works well in other countries without doing so. So why should we be the only one to do it ?

But the point is that other countries have other systems that work very well so the need is not the same. The US have a superb college system: it makes sense for any strong (but not tip-top) young adult player to choose to go through the college system, using it as a stepping-stone for pro-tennis. I've no idea if this system is thanks (even in part) to the US federation but, net net, it doesn't matter - it's there and it's part of the US system and it serves a great purpose. (The US really don't need to help their 18-23 year-olds, apart maybe from the very top few).

Similarly, in France, Dan Cox and the others wouldn't receive a penny of direct funding. But the club system is so strong and provides financial benefits. And equally there is a very big 'further studies' option where a huge number (of the not quite tip-top players) enrol in university courses where top sport is a major part. These are, for the most part, sport degrees of one sort or another. (Although, for any degree at all, there is the option - if you are a top sportsperson or musician or whatever - to get a special dispensation to have an extra year to do your course and use the free time to further your sport, using the uni's facilities). These sports degrees don't provide funding, as such, but they do provide a structure and support network - free courts, coaches, physios etc. - and entitle you (as a student) to a whole heap of grants and discounts (for travel, accomodation etc.). The amounts of money we're talking about are not huge so 10k here or there can make a huge difference.

My question is: I wonder what the system is like in Canada? Or Australia? Does anyone know? The Ozzie system seems to have had some spectacular success recently (fluke? or something identifiable ? change of policy?). Canada seems to have one/two high-fliers but I don't set much store by that (don't really follow their youngsters though so maybe missing something important).

It's my belief that most people simply support the system that they know and know to be successful (in their own country). My guess is that the current guys at the top of LTA are doing the same. It's not a criticism - one can learn a lot from other countries' experiences - but it is not a given, in any sense, that you can simply transfer one system to another country.

LordBrownof · Futures level

Who runs the comms at the LTA? It's been terrible for years. Awful awful awful.

indiana · Tennis legend

It would seem to me crass, almost beyond belief, that the LTA should move to the ( lack of ) direct ( and result ) funding that applies in all these other countries without very much taking into account all the other big differences that help these countries' players, many of which have been laid out by CD and others. These are indeed, I assume, pretty intelligent people at the LTA ( as said by one poster, who basically enquired who were we to question their actions ).

I am just left increasingly puzzled! And yes, much of their communication seems awful, leaving folk with little understanding of their rationale ( other maybe than some vague aim of focussing on top 100 potential players ). It's bad enough for the players not to like the what, but the LTA could help much more with the why.