Spanish professional tennis player Alicia Herrero knows firsthand the realities of chasing a career on the WTA Tour. From injuries and financial struggles to long weeks traveling alone across the world, Herrero has experienced both the rewarding and difficult sides of professional tennis.
In an interview with Florida Tennis Magazine, Herrero opened up about her journey from Spain to college tennis in the United States and eventually back to the professional tour.
“When I was around eight or nine years old, I started playing tennis because my friends and my cousins were playing,” Herrero said. “So, I started playing because people around me were just playing.”
After developing in Spain, she faced one of the biggest decisions of her career: whether to immediately pursue professional tennis or take the college route in the United States.
“After high school, I took the time to improve my English for a year and I started playing professionally, but I think I was so young,” she explained. “Maybe I wasn’t ready to become a pro so early.”
Eventually, Herrero and her family decided college tennis would be the best path forward.
“I think those four years helped me mature,” she said. “They helped me be more organized and more professional. It gave me the time to think about life and have things more clear.”
After college, injuries forced her to step away from competing professionally just as she was trying to establish herself on tour.
“My dream was always to be a professional player, but I knew being realistic, I couldn’t start playing at that point because I wasn’t ready,” Herrero said. “So I had to stop. I started coaching a little bit, I did a lot of rehab, and tried to give myself the best chance to maybe come back in the future.”
That comeback opportunity eventually arrived thanks to encouragement from her former college doubles partner.
“She was the one telling me, ‘Why don’t you just come back? We play doubles and see how it goes,’” Herrero recalled. “At the time I was feeling healthier, so I just gave myself the chance to go back on tour and give it all.”
Herrero says one of the biggest misconceptions about professional tennis is how few players are actually able to make a sustainable living.
“Only the players who are around Top 100 in singles and Top 50 in doubles are really able to make a living and consistently earn money from tennis,” Herrero explained. “Out of everyone competing on the WTA and ATP tours, that’s actually a very small number of players making a sustainable income.”
“The weeks where I don’t win a couple of matches, I’m losing money,” she said. “For me to cover my weekly expenses, I usually need to make at least the quarterfinals.”
Because of that reality, Herrero often has to compete without a traveling coach.
“I can’t really afford to pay for a coach to travel with me,” she said. “Most weeks I travel alone and barely make enough to cover expenses.”
Travel itself presents another major challenge, especially because conditions constantly change from week to week.
“Traveling week after week—most of the time alone—and competing in different conditions every single week is very challenging,” Herrero said.
She explained that even tournaments on the same surface can feel completely different depending on the location.
“The surfaces change, the balls change every week, and even clay courts can feel completely different depending on where you are,” she said. “Clay in Florida is not the same as clay in Europe. You constantly have to adapt.”
The pressure of professional tennis, she says, is unique because poor results or injuries immediately affect a player financially.
“If your results aren’t good or if you get injured, you’re not earning money,” Herrero said. “You immediately start losing money, which creates a type of pressure that probably doesn’t exist in many other professions.”
Despite the difficulties, Herrero believes tennis has taught her valuable life lessons.
“I think discipline is something tennis teaches you,” she said. “You’ve got to wake up every day and get better because people are working super hard every day.”
Away from the court, she tries to stay grounded through simple routines with family and friends.
“I like doing basic stuff,” Herrero said. “Walking my dog, spending time with my sisters, talking with my parents, reading, coloring, doing puzzles. It keeps you grounded.”
Herrero also shared what she believes separates good players from truly elite players on the professional tour.
“I think the players who become truly great are the ones who, besides having a lot of talent, are able to stay extremely consistent physically and mentally week after week,” she said. “At the top level, consistency is everything.”
For younger players hoping to turn professional one day, Herrero emphasized the importance of patience and long-term development.
“When you’re young it’s very easy to compare yourself to others and focus too much on short-term results,” she explained.
Instead, she believes improvement should remain the main focus.
“Concentrating on becoming a little better every day technically, mentally, and physically is what ultimately helps a player reach their highest level,” Herrero said. “The focus shouldn’t be on short-term results, but on long-term development and improvement.”
Looking back on her own journey, Herrero says the most important thing is competing without regrets.
“Follow your dreams and don’t give up because if you give your best, you never know what’s going to happen,” she said. “When I get on the court, I like to leave and feel like, okay, I have no regrets. I gave it all.”
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Written by Associate Editor Osvaldo Godoy. Photo credits: Isabella Forcella.