Teenage sensation Maya Joint may be blocked from accessing the biggest payday of her young career due to collegiate rules regarding athletes earning prize money.
The 18-year-old came through the qualifiers to reach the main draw of the US Open – her first appearance at a Grand Slam.
Her reward was a WTA Tour veteran Laura Siegemund with Joint pulling off a huge victory in straight sets to reach the second round.
That victory earned her £106,000 in prize money – a life-changing sum of money for someone starting out on the tour.
The rule states: “Once the individual has reached the $10,000 (£7,500) limit in a particular year, he or she may receive additional prize money on a per-event basis, provided such prize money does not exceed the individual’s actual and necessary expenses for participation in the event.”
Joint is already committed to starting a psychology degree at the University of Texas, but her mother is among several people fighting the NCAA’s controversial ruling.
“There are different rules for college, so you can take the money from the tournament, but you have to make expenses to the end of the year, so it is different from amateur to college,” Joint said.
Maya Joint faces Madison Keys in the next round
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Andy Roddick has called the NCAA rules about prize money for college athletes ‘absurd’.
He said: “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.”
Despite the possible financial setback, Joint has no plans to go back on her word to begin college.
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Maya Joint is committed to the University of Texas
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“I decided a long time ago that I wanted to go to college,” she said.
“I wasn’t really expecting to this far, but if I go to college, I get my scholarship spot.
“If I do decide to go professional, I can always come back on scholarships, which is a big, big deal.”
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