Gastao Elias: Only small percent of players make profit from tennis

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Portugal's Gastao Elias hopes Novak Djokovic's initiative to help lower-ranked players during the coronavirus pandemic will help as he says only a small amount of players make profit from tennis Elias, a former world No.

57, played only one event this year before the Tour was suspended and he has plummeted to No. 532 in the world. The 29-year-old Portuguese has earned only $520 this year but his career earnings from tournament prize money stand at $1,180,954.

"Sadly, only a small percent of players make a profit from tennis, the rest only earns enough to keep going. Many of them won't be able to sustain themselves and that puts their careers at risk. I hope this plan can help as many as possible," Elias told Gaspar Ribeiro Lanca.

Gastão Elias (former #57, now #532): "Sadly, only a small % of players make a profit from tennis, the rest only earns enough to keep going. Many of them won't be able to sustain themselves and that puts their careers at risk.

I hope this plan can help as many as possible." — Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) April 19, 2020

Meanwhile, Elias' fellow compatriot Pedro Sousa says he will be fine for the next few months but he could experience financial struggles in the Tour suspension lasts longer.

"Fortunately the year was coming along well and I can be 'relaxed' for a couple months but if it goes on for a lot longer it will be much more complicated," Sousa told Gaspar Ribeiro Lanca.

More from Pedro Sousa, who became a first-time ATP finalist in February: "Fortunately the year was coming along well and I can be 'relaxed' for a couple months but if it goes on for a lot longer it will be much more complicated." — Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) April 19, 2020

Sousa, ranked at No.

110 in the world, made his maiden ATP final in Buenos Aires this past February before losing to rising Norwegian star Casper Ruud. Sousa has earned $680,268 in his career -- $89,894 of those $680,268 was earned this season.