When Jessica Pegula, the $7.6 billion worth WTA star, said that staying at a hotel during events can “make or break” your campaign, she was indeed right. After all, “There is no better motivation than having a nice hotel” simply because “a nice accommodation, a nice stay definitely makes everything easier.” The 2025 US Open semifinalist shared her honest thoughts as she became a World of Hyatt Ambassador in June. But here’s the contrast. Not every player can afford the luxury of comfortable accommodation, especially junior and novice players who still dream of a spot in the WTA.

Enter Prisacariu Andreea, a 25-year-0ld Romanian athlete who has recently begun her WTA journey. Andreea is still associated with the ITF (International Tennis Federation) when it comes to playing in tour events. Since commencing her ITF career in 2016, Andreea has won a total of five singles titles under the W15 and W25 categories.

As of now, she ranks 1,028 in the world when it comes to the ITF level and 441st under the WTA level. Recently, Andreea took to her X account to shed light on her struggles as a pro who’s hardly able to compete. Why? The exorbitant expenses, especially for hotels. Imagine Andreea’s shock at her budget estimates that soared close to 50k while trying to find accommodation in Greece. The one she was hoping to stay in (NANA Golden Beach) was beyond her reach. Taking to X to expressing her frustration, her post read, “50k prices in Greece… guys, we are not millionaires…” while adding “the real money are done in the WTA… just saying… @ITFTennis are u for real to let this happen?”

The screenshot shared by Andreea depicted a grim picture. The prices of the hotel rooms were broken down according to bed size. For a single bed, the cost was €264 ($312.93), €293 for a double bed ($347.29), and €396 for a triple bedroom ($469.38). The pricing structure stunned Andreea, who did not have the luxury of being able to spend much on comfort since this was an ITF event.

Even if you have the option to spend, it still doesn’t guarantee a smooth sailing experience. Ask the professionals who have endured weird experiences during even the biggest of events. The Kazakh star and World No.61 Yulia Putintseva can attest to this.

When WTA pro Yulia Putintseva was denied a hotel room

Back in 2021, when the pandemic was wreaking havoc across the globe, despite the lockdown situation, the Australian Open organizers decided to proceed with the event in Melbourne. To ease the participants’ stress amidst the ongoing turmoil, the major title took one step further and bore all the accommodation expenses. However, the player-experience was still bad. Especially for WTA pro Yulia Putintseva.

Putintseva, who was staying in quarantine alongside other 70 players, found rodents in her allotted room. When she moved to a different hotel room, the situation did not improve.

To her surprise, however, the authorities then denied her a new room despite the inconvenience. “Been trying to change the room for a 2 hours already!” she wrote on X while sharing a brief clip of the mice roaming in her room. “And no one came to help due to quarantine situation.”

When she requested to be moved for a third time, she didn’t get any support. “Cool, now the reception told me the hotel is full and that they can’t help its a joke.” If this trouble wasn’t enough, Putintseva was later bizzarely accused of encouraging the mice by feeding them. Talk about inconvenience.