Kelowna tennis player Calvin Thalheimer is about to confront his dream.
The 22-year-old is preparing to head for Spain in six weeks to engage in two solid months of trying to make his mark on the pro tennis circuit.
Thalheimer says in his heart, he believes he can play with the best players in the world and has the confidence and maturity at this point in his life to elevate his game to the highest level of pro tennis.
“It might seem like a chance to see the world but I am taking this opportunity seriously as it will define the next few years of my life,” he said.
Thalheimer was an accomplished junior tennis player, winner of numerous provincial and national titles, club titles and other awards growing up in Kelowna.
Travelling to California last year, Thalheimer had the chance to play in multiple high-level tournaments.
“The competition California offers is intense, but I loved it,” he recounted.
“I was playing in pro-level events every weekend. I showed me…how far I had to go.”
After graduating high school, Thalheimer began coaching juniors, adults and high-performance sessions at Kelowna’s Global Fitness Club while attending Okanagan College and UBC Okanagan full-time.
This spring, he is on the verge of completing his degree in psychology.
But like all high-level athletes, he has wondered if he has what it takes to find success in his chosen sport and still has what he calls the competitive fire to find out.
While the odds may be stacked against him, Thalmeier is taking on this personal challenge with his eyes wide open.
As for his focus on Spain, Thalheimer says that the country, and Europe in general, offer so many more professional tennis tournament opportunities, nearly one every weekend, than does North America.
“And they are closer together, which means it offers the best, most cost-effective, opportunity to play multiple matches and hopefully accumulate ATP points.”
And for entry-level pro tennis players, it’s all about ATP points, the ranking system for professional tennis players.
More than 1,000 players hold 10 points or less. They are extremely hard to earn, as he notes less than 2,000 players globally even hold points at any given time.
“Having a single point can make the difference between getting into a larger tournament or not even getting a chance to qualify. I’m hoping to change that for myself.”
During his time in California, Thalmeier said other ATP pros told him you need $250,000 to compete on the world tennis circuit for a year.
But Thalheimer who comes from lower middle-class family roots is looking at a different financial stratosphere.
With a personal budget of $20,000, that will in part look after his flight to Barcelona and his accommodations in Spain.
“It’s not a fancy restaurant or resort-level accommodations. Flight and a Vrbo (vacation rental) for two months was $7,000. Racket strings, grips and shoes are another $3,000. Entry fees and practice court time are another $1,000. It adds up fast.
“The rest goes into food and travelling to as many individual events as I can.”
Thalheimer is hoping to find some sponsors to help stretch his reach further.
“If I can raise $5,000 or more, that would help me to get to additional events in Croatia, Serbia, Italy, Germany, Sweden and maybe even Turkey. Every dollar counts.”
As a junior player, Thalheimer says he received significant help from many local individuals and businesses. It meant a lot to him then and still does today.
“I’ve been very, very lucky. Many people in Kelowna have been extremely supportive and generous to me over the years. It made a huge difference, and I’ve always been extremely grateful. I’ve done my very best to pay it forward myself as well.”
An important financial obstacle to overcome will be transportation – the ability to fly to tournaments on less than 24 hours’ notice.
“I can be in Spain and get the call from a tournament that I have a spot to play in, say, Sweden starting the next day. It is pretty hard to drive to meet that kind of last-minute schedule so that is where flying becomes important,” he said.
He does have some tournament invites already locked up for some ITF tournaments including Barcelona, Gurb and Gaildoreix (Spain); Angers (France); and Nottingham (England).
While the challenges are ominous, Thalmeier is seeing other Canadians like Dennis Shapoavalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime reach the highest level of pro tennis, laying the pathway for others from Canada to follow and chase their own dreams.
“I am trying to give myself the best chance. To get to Europe, put all my chips out there and at least get the chance,” he said.
“It is a tonne of pressure but I am at an age and place in my life where I can put it all out there on the line and see what happens. I don’t want to look back on my life down the road and wonder if I could have done it or not as a pro tennis player.”
Committed to sharing his journey with as many as possible, Thalheimer started a dedicated Instagram account where anyone can follow his progress - from preparation here at home now through his travels overseas and the highs and lows of tournament play.
“Look, I was just some kid from a small tennis club, and I got to compete on the national stage. Now I’m an adult going international,” he said.
“It’s crazy, hard work but it’s also fun. Why not let people see a bit of what goes on behind the curtain? I’m excited to share my adventure with everyone.”
You can follow Thalheimer’s Instagram @calvinthalheimer.