It’s no surprise that Carlos Alcaraz has once again taken the crown as the world’s top-earning active tennis player, per Forbes. Over the last year, he secured a phenomenal $48.3 million in new revenue. This win pretty much cements his place as the sport’s most lucrative competitor for the second year running! While Alcaraz’s on–court success has been nothing short of admirable, it is his endorsement deals that have elevated him to truly staggering financial heights.
Following Alcaraz on this countdown is fellow young star Jannik Sinner. He pocketed $20.3 million in that same span, making that the third-highest total that Forbes has ever tallied for a tennis player’s earnings. Coco Gauff, on the strength of her historic US Open victory, ranked third with $37.2 million in total earnings. In fact, the top 10 highest earners in tennis brought in an impressive $285 million. That’s an incredible 16% jump from last fiscal year.
Alcaraz’s rise to number one speaks volumes of the young Spaniard’s prodigious talent. He has an extraordinary talent for winning the most lucrative sponsorships and endorsements. Like many players of his caliber, he has quickly become a household name, and his meteoric rise has been accompanied by huge off-court and on-court financial gains. His $480 million take this year was up 93% from a year ago, reflecting his meteoric climb up our rankings and money earned.
Sinner and Gauff’s quarterfinal runs underscore an important development in tennis pay equity. It’s the younger players who are impacting the game in a major way. Sinner’s haul is nonetheless deeply impressive and testifies to his growing political influence and appeal. In a parallel track, Gauff continues to enthrall the imagination of fans and endorser brands alike.
By comparison, Roger Federer, who officially retired in 2022, continues to be the world’s highest-earning tennis player post-retirement. His net worth, as of this writing, is $1.1 billion. Throughout his extensive career, he made close to $1 billion from entrepreneurial pursuits outside of basketball. Federer ruled that earnings stratosphere for 16 straight years before Alcaraz dethroned him in 2022. His last blockbuster deal with Uniqlo was reportedly worth $300 million. Moreover, his growing minority ownership interest in the shoe and apparel brand On adds financial color to his legacy.
Even as Federer himself moves fully into retirement, his impact on the sport is still undoubtedly being felt. His record-setting earnings established a precedent that current and future players would be compared against. They publicly show how there is a huge financial upside to tennis.
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