On the eve of the US Open, the American publication Forbes usually compiles a list of the highest-paid tennis players. 2024 was no exception. The material is interesting because it takes into account not only the official prize money of ATP and WTA athletes, but also the income of tennis players off the court: income from advertisers, sponsors, etc. It is clear that all the best tennis players have long been millionaires in dollars. How much do they earn?
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The calculation methodology is as follows. On-court earnings data reflects prize money and Olympic medal bonuses earned in the past 12 months dating back to the 2023 US Open and is rounded to the nearest $100,000. Off-court earnings data is determined through discussions with industry experts and reflects income (rounded to the nearest $1 million) from sponsorships, appearances, licensing and merchandise, and any businesses in which the athlete has a significant interest. The list includes tennis players who have competed in the past 12 months.
This does not include investment income, such as interest or dividend payments, but does include payments from stocks sold by athletes. Taxes and agent commissions are not deductible.
Daniil Medvedev: $20.3 million ($7.3 million + $13 million)
Of the Russians, the leader of the list, as expected, was the 2021 US Open champion and former world number one Daniil Medvedev. He ranked seventh in the overall rankings. Medvedev, ahead of four-time TBS champion Naomi Osaka and two-time Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka, earned the most in the past 12 months at last year’s US Open – $1.5 million. Reaching the semi-finals of the ATP Finals brought him just over $1.1 million, the Australian Open final – over AUD1.7 million (almost $1.2 million) and the Wimbledon semi-final – £715,000 ($945,000).
Daniil Medvedev at Wimbledon 2024
Photo: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
An avid gamer, Medvedev works with gaming headset brand HyperX and game makers EA Sports and Ubisoft. In 2023, he became a shareholder in esports organisation M80. His sponsors also include BMW Group, Fanatics and Lacoste.
Rafael Nadal – $23.3 million ($0.3 million + $23 million)
The 22-time Grand Slam champion rarely plays anymore, but that doesn’t stop him from regularly appearing on various Forbes lists. Nadal, 38, earned only $300,000 on the court, but off it – 77 times as much! Rafael has major deals with many sponsors. Most recently, he celebrated the 20th anniversary of cooperation with Kia and also signed a new contract with Infosys, invested in Playtomic, promoted Louis Vuitton with Roger Federer and became an ambassador for the Saudi Arabian Tennis Federation. He also has many other sponsors: Babolat, Cantabria Labs, Heineken NV, Nike, Richard Mille, Santander, Subway, Telefónica… Life doesn’t end at tennis.
Cori Gauff: $27.1 million ($7.1 million + $20 million)
The 20-year-old Gauff, the reigning US Open champion, topped the women’s rankings. At the same time, in terms of prize money on the court, she lost to Iga Swiatek, but in terms of earnings she surpassed the Polish player. Corey’s title at last year’s New York Major earned her $3 million at once. The young American, of course, boasts an impressive sponsorship portfolio, including recently closed deals with Carol’s Daughter, Naked, and Fanatics. Also among the companies supporting Gauff are Amer Eagle Outfitters, Baker Tilly Wealth Management, Barilla, Bose, Head, New Balance, Rolex, UPS.
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Novak Djokovic – $37.2 million ($12.2 million + $25 million)
But even Gauff is far behind Djokovic, whose earnings in each column turned out to be $5 million more. The title at the US Open earned the Serb $3 million, the same as Gauff, and he earned more for winning the ATP Final Championship – just over $4.4 million. Last year, Novak parted ways with his long-time agent Edoardo Artaldi. Despite this, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, of course, does not lack sponsors: Asics, Head, Hublot, Lacoste, Raiffeisen Bank International.
Carlos Alcaraz – $42.3 million ($10.3 million + $32 million)
However, Djokovic failed to hold on to the top spot, which he rose to for the first time in 2023. Carlos Alcaraz received less on the court, but the 21-year-old Spaniard is unmatched in terms of off-court earnings. During the reporting period, Alcaraz won two Grand Slam tournaments. The Roland Garros title earned him €2.4 million and the Wimbledon title earned him £2.7 million. This translates to a total of $6.26 million.
But the exhibition match between Carlos and Nadal, organised by Netflix, and the prize money are already in the second column, as are numerous sponsorship deals, including contracts with Babolat, BMW Group, LVMH, Nike, Rolex.
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Highest paid tennis players, millions of dollars
Place PlayerCountryPrize money on the courtOff-field earningsAddition1Carlos AlcarazSpain10.33242.32Novak DjokovicSerbia12.22537.23Corey GauffUnited States7.12027.14Iga SwiatekPoland11.71526.75Jannick SinnerItaly11.61526.66Rafael NadalSpain0.32323.37Daniil MedvedevRussia i 7. 31320.38Naomi OsakaJapan0.61414.69Casper RuudNorway3.91013.910Arina SabalenkaBelarus6.7713, 7
Alcaraz topped the Forbes list for the first time. In 2023, Djokovic was the leader of the rankings, and from 2007 to 2022, Roger Federer was always at the top. Before that, only Americans stood out. Andre Agassi was number one in the rankings from 1992 to 2006, except for 1993 and 1997, when he was ahead of Jim Courier and Pete Sampras, respectively.
Forbes Tennis Ranking Leaders Since 2011, Millions of Dollars
10 6.32021Roger Federer902022Roger Federer90.72023Novak Djokovic38.42024Carlos Alcaraz42.3
