Making the jump from the minor-league Challenger circuit to the ATP Tour is no easy feat. For 22-year-old American player Ethan Quinn, one of the most stressful rookie lessons involved his bank account. After securing a breakout third-round finish at the French Open, Quinn was eagerly waiting for his massive €168,000 (roughly $191,000) prize money to hit his bank account. When the deposit didn’t arrive after a month, he asked tour veteran Tommy Paul for advice, but Paul took that chance to prank the rookie.
Ethan Quinn Says Tommy Paul Made Him Panic Over Lost French Open Prize Money
On the latest episode of the “Nothing Major Show,” Sam Querrey asked Quinn if he checked the bank account shortly after the major tournaments like the French Open and the Australian Open, where he reached the third round.
“Yeah, I’m really quick with it. I’m checking every day. It’s a really exciting feeling,” Quinn admitted.
“Actually, my ‘welcome to the tour’ moment was with Tommy [Paul]. I’d been waiting about a month for the prize money from the French Open to come in, checking every single day. I text Tommy, ‘Dude, why isn’t the prize money in? It’s the third round, it’s a big sum.’ He’s like, ‘Oh, dude, you didn’t go to the office in Paris?’ And I was like, ‘No, dude. I didn’t.’ He’s like, ‘Oh, yeah. You probably won’t get your prize money.'”
“I text Tommy, ‘Dude, why isn’t the prize money in? It’s third round, it’s a big sum,'” Quinn shared with a laugh. “He’s like, ‘Oh, dude, you didn’t go to the office in Paris?’ And I was like, ‘No, dude. I didn’t.’ He’s like, ‘Oh, yeah. You probably won’t get your prize money.'”
Believing he had just accidentally thrown away tens of thousands of dollars due to a simple administrative error, Quinn panicked. He messaged his coaching and management team to figure out how to fix it. Desperate, he texted Paul again to see if he was serious.
Paul finally let him off the hook, replying, “No, dude. You’re an idiot. It’ll be there in a few days.”
Quinn, who played college tennis at the University of Georgia and won the 2023 NCAA title, was only used to the minor leagues, where a $758 payout was wired almost immediately. And that was not the case for international transfers. While the French tax authorities ultimately took a heavy 40% cut, Quinn eventually received his money.
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Quinn is currently playing at the Challenger Aix-en-Provence in France, set to face Alejandro Tabilo in the semis today. He also achieved a career-high ranking of No. 48 in April 2026.
Meanwhile, Paul recently had an early exit in the Round of 64 against Thiago AgustÃn Tirante at the Madrid Open. He is currently using the two-week gap in his schedule to train for the Rome Masters to regain his momentum ahead of Roland Garros.
