The Grand Slams, and their accompanying glamour, may skew our perception of what it is to play tennis for a living, but professional tennis is so much more than the elite few at the top of the game.

For the majority of the 8,000-or-so players who compete on the ITF World Tennis Tour, being a pro means hopping from one country to the next on a whim, not to mention dealing with hotel arrangements, court bookings, tournament entry and travel itineraries as much as preparing physically and mentally for the next opponent. 

For Courtney Lock and Conny Perrin, both firmly established tennis pros and members of the ITF World Tennis Tour Player Panel, organised chaos is a way of life. And they wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It gives [valuable] life experience,” said Perrin, a 31-year-old Swiss who has climbed as high as No. 134 in the WTA rankings. “You can learn so much, not only by being a tennis player, but as a person. That’s really what pushed me into trying to be a professional.”

“Tennis teaches us so many life lessons,” added Lock, a 25-year-old from Zimbabwe who is knocking on the door of the ATP’s Top 300 in doubles. “Being able to deal with disappointment, being able to deal with adversity going forward [are important life skills]. If I was the boss of a company and I saw someone had played 10 years on the professional tennis tour, I would hire that person in an instant.”

In a fascinating, wide-ranging chat for ITFtennis.com, Perrin and Lock join forces to delve deeper into life as a professional tennis player on the ITF World Tennis Tour, covering everything from their route into sport; the highs and lows along the way; having the sport ‘taken away’ from them during the height of the pandemic; the importance of putting mental health first; the joy of playing Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup and the part they are playing in evolving the Tour through their roles on the ITF’s Men’s and Women’s Player Panels.

It hasn’t been an easy journey for either, whether self-funded, like Perrin, for the entirety of her playing career, or choosing to leave home while still a child, as Lock did in order to further his professional aspirations. Never mind the three hip surgeries he has endured in recent years that threatened to end his career before it had truly begun.

Lock: "I was told by four-five surgeons that I should get used to a life outside of tennis" (Watch clip)

Lock, whose older brother Benjamin is also a pro, began his tennis journey by packing his bags at the age of 12 to move to South Africa, where he was able to develop his talents at an ITF Development Centre in Africa.

“It was huge and to be quite honest I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for that,” he said of the centre, funded by the ITF-administered Grand Slam Player Development Programme. “My brother is a product of the ITF Development Centres as well and I still keep in touch with all the coaches.

“I came from a tennis family [Lock’s Dad also played Davis Cup], but coming from a place like Zimbabwe… you get to a certain point where there are only 10, 12, 15 players playing the tournaments and there’s no way to further your career. To pay for a flight every couple of months to Europe is impossible, so I was so grateful to the ITF for that. It was a huge benefit and I think there has been multiple stories like me that have come out of the centres.”

Though Perrin hails from Switzerland and could look to compatriots Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka and Martina Hingis as a source of inspiration, Africa (and specifically an ITF W25 tournament in Nigeria) has also played a defining role in her career.

Perrin has competed in 16 ITF tournaments in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, since 2010, reaching eight finals and winning three titles there, but it is the experiences along the way, not the trophies she left with, that have enriched her life.

"Perrin: A lot of tennis fans don't know this tournament exists, but it's so special" (Watch clip)

“That Lagos tournament, I’ve played a lot of times, but I’ve learned so much as a person going there – and not only through tennis. It’s more than that,” she said. “I’ve seen all the kids there that are willing to play, so happy, full of joy, so motivated. They wanted to play every day. I was more focused on playing with them every day than going to my matches! It made me really happy to be part of that with them.”

“I get the same feeling playing in Nigeria,” Lock agreed. “You know how it is on the final day, it’s a full crowd, they’ve got everyone out there. It’s one of those moments where you appreciate it so much more.

“People there don’t get to see ATP or WTA tournaments or Davis Cup, for them this is the biggest event they get to see the entire year. It’s amazing to see the impact playing a tennis match has on those kids. I think it’s a special tournament, for sure.”

The role that the Nigerian event - towards the lower end of entry-level professional tennis - has played in both Perrin and Lock's careers serves as a healthy reminder that you don’t need to be a Top 50 player or go deep at the Grand Slams to enjoy a fulfilling career in the sport, however much aspiring to those heights might pick you up in the dark times.

A deep love of the sport has kept both players going when others might have called it quits. For Perrin, the height of the Covid pandemic proved a particularly challenging time for her mental health, while Lock's injury record has been particularly prohibitive.

“Just recently I had three hip surgeries,” he revealed. “No-one wants to go through a surgery or a bad injury and end up having surgery, but at the end of the day this is an athlete’s life.

“About a year and a half ago, I was told by four or five surgeons that I should just get used to life outside of tennis. I remember watching tennis, watching my brother’s matches and thinking… ‘this is crazy, how is my career gone at 25 years old’?

“I managed to work really hard, got another surgery, and we found a way and now I’m back playing and I’m so grateful. I think these are moments in our lives where it teaches us so much. I always knew I loved tennis, but in those moments where I couldn’t play and do something that I love, you really appreciate how much you love the sport.

“Now if I lose a match, I’m disappointed, but at the back of my mind I’m so grateful to be here.”

🗣️ "People see us and think we’re machines"

In a fascinating chat, @courtslock and @connyperrin90 join forces to talk about life as a pro tennis player on the ITF World Tennis Tour 💪

— ITF (@ITFTennis) June 1, 2022

It is perhaps that gratitude that left him wanting to give back and help evolve the Tour through the ITF World Tennis Tour Player Panel, which was created in 2020 to give players more of a say on how the Tour is run. Perrin, who has been a member of the women's panel since 2020, believes it has been a great addition.

"Until now we didn't have that voice," she said. "As a player who has played many years, I thought I'd be really happy to get the insight of player feedback and have the experience to maybe help and give some insight and feedback for the ITF. I think it's a very good thing that they created that for the players. It helps to have the players perspective."

"It's been great so far," agreed Lock. "Last year for the men there wasn't anyone from Africa, so I've also been able to bring that and also the doubles perspective. It gives people confidence and freedom that, say if there's a person in Kenya who is trying to play pro tennis and has questions, at least there's someone to bridge that gap. Also, I think a lot of people feel like doubles is overlooked, but that's not really the case. 

"As you know from being on the panel and the changes that have been made last year and this year with online entry and points systems, there isn't a part of the sport that's overlooked.

"You can't please everyone, you can't please the entire tennis community, but at least bringing those ideas helps... It's all going in the right direction. There have been so many positive changes. Things that could have been done before but weren't brought to light because there wasn't the panel. For it's function it's serving the tennis community really well."

Lock and Perrin on...

The ITF World Tennis Tour Player Panel - Watch

Their tennis inspirations and best moments - Watch
 
Their toughest moments as a pro tennis player - Watch

Or watch the full conversation between Lock and Perrin here