Harsh reality.

 Alex Eala is only a wildcard - 

**THE HARSH REALITY OF TENNIS PROFESSIONALS**

Right now, there are around 1,500 women fighting for a spot on the professional tennis circuit. But the brutal truth is that only the top 100 can actually make a living from it.  

Why is that?  

The system is built to reward the elite, the few who rise to the top. For everyone else, the price is steep.

Take the WTA 500, for example—it only takes 32 players. The WTA 1000, just 96. And the biggest of them all, the Grand Slam, barely 120. 

These players don’t get in by chance—they earn their place through the sheer force of their rankings.

But for those who fall outside the top 100, the path is a grueling battle. They must scrape and claw their way through brutal qualifying rounds, hoping for just a glimpse of the glory that lies beyond.

And then there’s the cost—the endless flights across the globe, the nights spent in foreign hotels, the coach they must hire, the food they must pay for—all out of pocket. Every dollar spent, every sacrifice made, with no guarantee of success.

Because here’s the truth most don’t see: there’s no guarantee of a paycheck. The lower-ranked players, the ones fighting for survival in the qualifiers? Most lose in the first round. Some don’t even make it that far.

Imagine this: You wake up, pay for your bus ticket, pack your lunch, and go to work. But when the day ends, there’s no paycheck waiting for you. No reward for your effort. Just silence.

So, the next time you watch an unseeded player fight for her place, remember the sacrifice behind every swing of the racquet. Root for them, because they’re not just playing for glory—they’re playing for survival. Alexandra Eala from the Philippines is one of them.