“When talent meets dedication, greatness unfolds.” Much like Maya Joint, whose US Open journey is gaining momentum, from qualifiers to the upcoming second-round showdown with Madison Keys. But the Australian player’s passion and pride converge in a place beyond the courts. One where she balances her athletic ambitions with academic pursuits while also navigating the financial challenges!

In 2023, Maya Joint’s US Open juniors didn’t go as planned, with a round of 64 defeat halting her pace. In a complete contrast of scenarios, the Michigan-born teen overcame Laura Siegemund in R1, bagging a potential amount of $140,000 prize money. Unlike many players, this can be a huge hurdle for the Aussie who continues to be a student-athlete at the University of Texas!

The 18-year-old tennis prodigy is balancing her rigorous training schedules while preparing to study for a psychology degree at UT. Moreover, on November 8, 2023, along with the academic responsibilities, Joint decided to commit to the Texas Longhorns tennis team for the 2024 season as well. There, his head coach, Howard Joffe, will train Joint to hone her skills further.

Speaking about it to texaslonghorn.com in 2023, he appreciated Joint for her kind-natured and humorous demeanor while also stating, “I am so grateful to Maya, her parents and her coach, Emily, for choosing Texas. I intend to work with Maya to help her achieve all her collegiate goals, as well as those aspirations beyond the college realm.”

Delighted at the opportunity to have a National Letter of Intent (NLI) and Athletic Scholarship Agreement (ASA), Maya Joint said that meeting with her coach and assistant coach Justin Butsch during her tour at UT boosted her confidence to call it a “perfect place” for her. “To be able to pursue my academic goals along with my tennis goals in such a lively city like Austin is dream come true.” 

Furthermore, the two time ITF junior titlist stated, “I’m excited and determined to help the team win another NCAA title during my time in Texas, and I’m equally excited to be part of the UT family.” However, it came at a price! Now that Joint has achieved her career’s biggest paycheck at the US Open, she might not be able to keep it as per the rules of the NCAA. 

Joint, who will embark on her collegiate tennis journey in fall, cannot accept more than $10,000 per year, with the extra amount not going beyond the original amount, along with the additional expenses. Maya thinks all of this is “crazy”.

Maya Joint expresses the “complicated” struggles of being a student-athlete

In a post-match(against Siegemund) interview, Maya Joint elaborated on the difference in prize money expenses rules that college provides. The Australian player further explained, “As student athletes, you can take the money from the tournament, but you have to make expenses until the end of the year. So, it’s different from amateur to college…It’s very complicated.” She revealed how her mother and the Texas Compliance Office helped her to deal with the whole thing.

However, Joint, who did not expect to go this far in the US Open, intends to resume her studies in college after the tournament, irrespective of all the hurdles. But Joint still stands at a crossroads! “If I go to college, then I get my scholarship spot. If I decide to go pro in the meantime, I can always come back on scholarship, which is a big deal.”

Maya Joint might have missed the first day of college, but her determination to tackle both aspects of her career still remains intact!