Wimbledon prize money ‘peanuts’ in the tennis world – Jack Pinnington Jones

The 22-year-old debutant – a close friend of British number one Jack Draper – made the most of his SW19 wild card by beating Tomas Etcheverry in his opening match before going down in straights sets to 22nd seed Flavio Cobolli in round two.

Pinnington Jones pocketed £99,000 for an impressive impact at his maiden major tournament – a small sum in professional tennis but one which could prove pivotal for his fledgling career.

Away from the glamour of the Championships, the world number 281 is back living with his parents and three younger sisters in the Surrey village of Cobham after opting not to complete the final year of his studies at Texas Christian University.

“I’m in it for the long haul – if I can get to grand slam main draws, that’s what I want for my life,” said Pinnington Jones.

“I’m ready to stick it out and go through ups and down in my career that I know are going to come my way.

“It’s a weight off my back knowing that I can fund my tennis myself without going through my parents. That’s huge to me.

“I’m looking at it as an investment. It’s peanuts to what tennis players can make.

“I want to be a top 100 tennis player in the world. I want to try and maximise my potential. Hopefully it will pay off in the long run.”

Pinnington Jones intends to use his windfall to invest in a personal trainer, book his coach and a travelling physio for certain weeks of the tennis calendar and, potentially, move into his own home.

He was guaranteed £66,000 for being in the main draw before adding an additional £33,000 thanks to Tuesday’s statement straight-sets win over 2023 French Open quarter-finalist Etcheverry.

Thursday’s Court 18 meeting with world number 24 Cobolli proved a step too far, albeit Pinnington Jones squandered a set point in the second-set tie-break.

He will play golf and celebrate with family and friends in the coming days before returning to action in next week’s Nottingham Challenger event with the aim of securing a qualifying place for the US Open.

“I’m very proud of myself in how I’ve handled the whole experience,” said Pinnington Jones, who has no regrets about prematurely ending his education.

“Today it’s invaluable for me to play such a good player and see the clear things in my game that I need to work on if I want any chance of getting my ranking up and actually earn my place here (without a wild card).

“Obviously I’m nowhere near where I want to be, so it’s just I’ve shown I can do it. It’s about now delivering it on the practice court day in, day out and just trying to be more consistent with my level.

“It gives me a lot of belief that one day I can be here.”