Tennis players are finding ways to stay connected with their fans while also making a little extra cash on the side. Some top-ranked stars have taken up Poker as an additional source of income during this time.
Poker has become a popular game with a growing online base that has continued to thrive during the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of people playing in tournaments worldwide has increased by over 50% since March 2020 alone. This surge in popularity comes at a good time for tennis pros who need extra money to pay off bills or cover expenses.
The best part about these new opportunities? It’s all completely legal! Players can play from home without having to worry about breaking any rules. They need to be careful when it comes to keeping their bankroll safe.
The following is a list of some notable tennis players who play Poker, making money off the court.
Rafael Nadal
The Spanish professional tennis player is better known for winning 13 French Open titles. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer currently hold the record for most Grand Slam singles titles; both are some of the best tennis players of their generation. The 35-year-old has been ranked number 1 five times in the ATP rankings. He currently holds 88 career titles appearing in the 4th in the Open Era.
However, it turns out he is a lover of playing Poker too. Nadal started playing Poker at home with friends in Majorca but hasn’t been able to find much success yet. His biggest score came when he finished runner-up. Nadal is now working as an analyst for Poker Stars and opts to transition into Poker as a new career after retiring from tennis. He continues to train and hone his craft while working towards making the jump to the Poker pro circuit.
Patrik Antonius
Patrik Antonius became a professional tennis player in his early teenage years. However, he was never able to make it as far as the top of the game. However, he managed to turn pro at an early age and became one of the most successful tennis players on the ATP Tennis tours.
Poker was not part of Patrik Antonius’ dream, but he has always been fascinated by being a tennis player and coach since childhood. When he turned 18, he decided that this would be the perfect time to start making money from Poker. After some research, he found out about internet poker rooms where you could play real cash games.
Patrik Antonius turned to Poker due to his back injuries which prevented him from playing tennis professionally. His professional poker player career took off when he joined the Poker circuit, where he has been very active ever since and a regular tournament winner.
Gus Hansen
Gus Hansen was a formidable tennis player in his childhood years. However, he shifted from tennis for another game, Backgammon, before becoming an online poker star. At first, he had no idea how to play Poker, but he learned all about it with time. Gus Hansen was making and losing millions at the same time before and after Black Friday.
The story behind Hansen’s massive victory started when he lost millions during Black Friday. This loss led him into bankruptcy, which meant he had no choice but to start again from scratch. So what did he do? Well, instead of giving up, he decided to play online poker full-time. And it worked out well because now he makes money hand over fist.
Hansen usually starts as small stakes and then moves up through the ranks until eventually reaching high roller games. Gustav Hansen’s success did not go unnoticed. Many Poker gamblers wanted to be part of his team as they believed that he would teach them everything they needed to know about Poker. Unfortunately, none of them succeeded.
Boris Becker
Boris Becker is a former German number one tennis pro player who has won six Grand Slams, including two Australian Opens, three Wimbledon Championships, and one US Open. Boris’ aspiration for Poker began years after he retired from tennis on 25th June 1999.
In November 2007, he became an online poker star after joining PokerStars as an ambassador. However, in 2013 he ventured into other businesses, such as investing in Becker Arena Products Inc. As of July 2020, Becker carried out an online poker tournament to raise emergency funds in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Conclusion
It is interesting to see how they have adapted their gameplay and strategies to make money online. Poker sites offer responsible gaming and gambling to all players so they can manage their finances well.
