However, Arthurs Point resident Doug Bohaboy, 48, did just that for six years, playing on tennis’ ATP Tour until 2006.
After a successful four years playing college tennis on a scholarship, the native of Palo Alto, California, made the huge leap into the professional ranks, aged 23, in 2000.
Hitting with two hands off both wings, with a strong serve return, he carved out a living in singles and doubles on the cut-throat international circuit before retiring, hampered by shoulder injuries, in 2006.
Bohaboy reached a career-high singles ranking of 250 in 2003 — making him about the 20th-ranked US pro on the tour — as well as a doubles ranking of 222.
So how did he end up living happily ever after in Queenstown with wife Sarah and their two daughters?
Short answer? Covid-19.
After visiting 23 countries in eight months, they’d spent about three weeks in New Zealand when, in March 2020, the pandemic started getting serious.
Deciding to stay in the resort town for a couple of weeks to "just wait this thing out", they spent the first lockdown at an Airbnb in Littles Rd.
Hooked by the mountains and opportunities to play outdoors, the Covid refugees’ intended two-week stay became six months, and with their girls by then enrolled at Queenstown Primary, the couple asked themselves "why don’t we just stay here?"
After getting residency in 2023, they bought their home in Arthurs Point.
Reflecting on the sheer chance behind their new life, Bohaboy say they wouldn’t have even considered living in any of the countries they’d visited up to that point.
"We were handed the golden ticket.
"We just fell in love with this place, and here we are."
After initially doing consulting work in the tech sector, Bohaboy now works from home for an Auckland-based venture capital firm.
These days he mainly has a hit with his younger daughter, but played doubles with local teen ace Kai Milburn at last year’s Queenstown Open, and turned out for Southern Lakes at a regional teams’ tournament in Oamaru in November.
"I probably hit a serious ball once every couple of months."
A member of the "awesome" Queenstown Tennis Club, he says its junior coaching programme is excellent.
"It’s really impressive going to the courts, they work hard in a focused way.
"I really enjoying seeing that — it reminds me of myself at that stage."
