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It might be a modest day's pay for the likes of Novak Djokovic, but a cheque worth $120,000 will go a long way for Dane Sweeny.
That's how much the laidback Queenslander earned after going down in a five-set thriller to Argentine 22nd seed Francisco Cerundolo in his Australian Open debut.
The financial reward pales in comparison when lined up against the $3,150,000 that the respective winners of the men's and women's tournaments will take home.
But for Sweeny, who is ranked 257 in the world, it is enough to set up his 2024 season.
Prior to his first-round match, Sweeny looked to cut costs by staying at an Airbnb with a group of mates.
"Tennis is a pretty expensive sport, so I have to try to make those dollars last as long as I can," said Sweeny, who qualified for the main draw.
The expense that comes with a professional tennis career when you are ranked outside the top-tier has also meant Sweeny's dad Clay doubles up as his coach, despite needing to attend to work back in Queensland.
"My dad actually had to go in the fifth set (against Cerundolo) because he had to go do work back at home," Sweeny said.
"He had to catch a flight and go do some cleaning jobs, unfortunately."
Sweeny did not embark on a tennis career naively, having set up a GoFundMe page in 2019 as an 18-year-old with a goal of raising $10,000 to support himself on tour.
"Travelling the world as a professional tennis player isn't as luxurious as it seems towards the bottom of the rankings where I am positioned at the moment," Sweeny wrote at the time.
"Most players like me do not have sponsors to assist in travel expenses, which makes it nearly impossible to pursue our dreams."
Prior to the Australian Open, Sweeny had accumulated $309,701 in career prize money but that can only go so far when you factor in travel and accommodation costs, as well as lower-level tournament fees.
Sweeny's 2023 season saw him play in 32 cities across 15 countries, travelling to destinations such as Ecuador, Puerto Rico, India, Croatia and China, in addition to contesting tournaments in the United States and Australia.
This is why his first-round payday in Melbourne will prove vital.
"It will definitely pay for my whole year and I can probably afford to bring my dad with me or maybe even another coach for most of the year now, which is unreal," he said.
"It puts a lot less pressure on me."
As important as the money is to Sweeny, he was also buoyed by the confidence he gained from his performance in the 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 loss to Cerundolo on John Cain Arena.
Having come through three rounds of qualifying, he showed few signs of nerves in claiming the first set, nor did he fall apart when Cerundolo won the second and third.
After Sweeny forced a deciding fifth set, the experience of Cerundolo – who was ranked as high as 19 last year – shone through, although his opponent still put up a fight after three hours and 23 minutes on court.
"The money, I think, is secondary to the kind of confidence I'll take out of it and the belief that it's kind of given me," he said.
"I think that's probably more important."
Also adding to Sweeny's confidence was a pre-tournament hit with 10-time champion Djokovic on Saturday.
"I was a little bit intimidated at the start, but he made me feel so comfortable," Sweeny said.
"He is such a legend. He was joking around. I was hitting great and he let me know I was hitting great.
"So he made me feel really comfortable.
"Just to have the greatest of all time on the other side of the net, it was a surreal experience."
Such has been the experience of the past few days, Sweeny had every right to enjoy the moment with his family and friends.
"We'll go out to dinner tonight and celebrate what could have been a win, but still celebrate nonetheless," he said.
"Might have a couple of beers as well."
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