The US Open always offers a chance for young players to leave their mark on the tennis world. Last year, it was American sensation, Ben Shelton, who caught the attention of the fans with his heroic run to the semifinals of the tournament. This year, it is the Australian tennis sensation, Maya Joint, who is making the headlines. Yesterday, the 18-year-old had a thumping first-round win over Laura Siegemund, a player twice her age. Despite her breathtaking victory, Joint is making the headlines for an interesting reason, something for which she has now got support from Andy Roddick.

Along with her tennis commitments, Joint will also be pursuing a psychology degree at the University of Texas. As a result, she is set to lose a major chunk of her prize money as the US College rules, set by the NCAA, limit the amount of money that amateur players can access at professional tournaments. Interestingly, Joint can only access around US$10,000 of the $US140,000 that she won on account of her first-round victory over Siegemund. If she has to use more than $10,000 from the prize money, it can only be for her expenses.

This rule has been criticized in the past too and it has now become a big talking point again after Joint’s victory over Siegemund. The Australian youngster has received support from Andy Roddick, who slammed the bizarre NCAA rules. The American legend took to his official X handle and wrote, “It’s absurd to me that a college athlete can take money from a local car dealership but can’t accept earned prize money from the US Open.”

According to the NCAA rules, “In tennis, prior to full-time collegiate enrolment, an individual may accept up to $10,000 per calendar year in prize money based on his or her place finish or performance in open athletics events (events that are not invitation only).” 

If that limit is reached, the players earn on a per-tournament basis in a way that the sum covers only their actual and necessary expenses to participate in that tournament. Despite losing a massive chunk of her winnings at the US Open, Joint is unconcerned about the financial aspect of the game.

Maya Joint after winning a massive sum at the US Open: ‘It’s very complicated’

The Australian tennis sensation has caught the attention of the tennis world with her brilliant first-round performance. However, she doesn’t intend to stop just yet. While Joint wants to keep winning, she doesn’t know what she would do with the prize money even if she got it all.

During the post-match interview, she said, “It’s crazy. I’ve never had (that kind of money). I don’t really know what I’d do with it. (As) student-athletes, you can take the money from the tournament but you have to, like, make expenses until the end of the year. So it’s different from amateur to college. It’s very complicated. My mum looks at it and then the Texas Compliance Office helps me with all that.”

Joint will take on the local star, Madison Keys in the second round. Can she continue her winning run at the US Open? Let us know your views in the comments below.