25 years ago, that was a familiar slogan on the tennis circuit because it was the tag line of Virginia Slims which sponsored women’s professional tennis.Today, that could easily be applied to the current state of both international professional and junior tennis.In the 70s and 80s, there were a limited number of international junior tournaments – really just a handful besides the four junior Grand Slams.In 2007, there will be over 300 events on the ITF Junior calendar in over 100 countries.Today, top juniors travel the globe year-round like their idols on the pro tour.At many tournaments, juniors now are also offered complimentary hospitality similar to the pro tour.In addition, many top juniors train at academies in other countries in order to obtain the best coaching and practice. Since they spend so much time on the road, few top juniors attend regular schools, studying by correspondence, etc.In many ways, this a good introduction to the realities of life as a tennis pro, but what about having a chance to enjoy your childhood first?It sounds clichéd, but sadly, like professional child actors and singers, very few juniors who continue into the professional ranks as adults have a “normal childhood.”It’s part of the “price” that they must pay to reap the rewards down the road.But does it really mean that “we’ve come a long way”?
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