Tennis is among the sports offering substantial prize money to professional players. Combined with lucrative brand endorsements, tennis players rank as some of the highest earners in the sporting world. Over the years, the prize money pools of tournaments, including the prestigious Grand Slams, have significantly increased, making tennis an even more financially rewarding career for its top athletes. Tennis Players With Highest Prize Money Earnings
As a result of these changes, many legends of the past, such as Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, and John McEnroe, are no longer among the top 10 earners in tennis history. Instead, the “Big 3” — Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer — dominate the list, claiming the top three positions. Remarkably, the list also includes players with fewer than five Major titles, and even one who has yet to win a Grand Slam.
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Novak Djokovic, who holds the record for most weeks as world number 1, is leading the all-time earnings chart and has secured the highest prize money in tennis history. Serena Williams holds the record for earning the most prize money on the women’s side.
Tennis players with highest prize money
10. Simona Halep- $40 million
Simona Halep holds the 10th spot on the all-time earnings list despite winning only two Grand Slam titles. Competing in an era dominated by Serena Williams and Venus Williams, the Romanian worked tirelessly to carve out her success. Her achievements include 24 titles, and her consistent performance on the court helped her amass an impressive $40,232,663 in prize money.
However, Halep’s career faced a significant setback due to a doping controversy. The scandal disrupted her match rhythm and possibly made her more susceptible to injuries. After her first-round defeat at the 2022 US Open, she was sidelined while battling with the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), which initially imposed a four-year ban. Following her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), the ban was reduced to nine months.
Once her suspension ended, Halep returned to competitive tennis in 2024, participating in four tournaments. While her journey back has been challenging, her remarkable career earnings and dedication to the sport remain a testament to her talent and resilience.
9. Venus Williams- $42 million
Venus Williams turned professional in 1994 but has yet to hang her racket. She and sister Serena Williams ruled on the WTA Tour, and together, they claimed 14 doubles Grand Slam titles.
Although Williams’s elder sister hasn’t yet retired, she didn’t play much in the 2024 season. The tournament she dominated the most was Wimbledon, which she clinched five times. Overall, she has claimed seven Majors in singles, two of which came at the US Open.
She is the most decorated tennis player in the Olympics, clinched four gold medals and a silver in mixed doubles. With 49 career titles in singles and 22 in doubles, Williams is second on the list for prize money in women’s tennis, pocketing $42,648,578.
8. Pete Sampras- $43 million
The legendary Pete Sampras amassed the majority of his career earnings during the 1990s, a golden era for tennis. Over his 14-year career, Sampras cemented his place in history by winning 14 Grand Slam titles, including a record-breaking seven Wimbledon finals.
Throughout his career, Sampras earned $43,280,489 in prize money, a testament to his dominance during his time on the court. His ability to consistently perform at the highest level made him one of the greatest players in tennis history.
However, the landscape of tennis continues to evolve, and rising stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are already making their mark. With the growing prize money in modern tournaments, these young talents are expected to surpass Sampras’s career earnings shortly.
7. Daniil Medvedev- $43 million
Daniil Medvedev’s 20 singles titles have earned him a spot at sixth place on the all-time career prize money list, with total earnings of $43,764,163. His most notable triumph came at the 2021 US Open, but he faced heartbreak in three Australian Open finals. Alongside his lone Major, Medvedev also claimed victory at the 2020 ATP Finals.
Known for his consistency, Medvedev frequently makes deep runs in tournaments, although these efforts don’t always result in titles. In February 2022, he achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first player outside of the Big 4 to reach the world No. 1 ranking since Andy Roddick in February 2004. This achievement underscores his exceptional talent and determination.
Medvedev has established himself as one of the premier hard-court players of his generation. Of his 20 career titles, 18 have come on hard courts, highlighting his dominance on the surface and solidifying his reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the tennis world.
6. Alexander Zverev- $47 million
Alexander Zverev is often regarded as one of the best players never to win a Grand Slam, standing out as the only player without a Grand Slam on the all-time career prize money list. Turning professional in 2013, the talented German ace has faced the challenge of competing in an era dominated by some of the greatest players in tennis history. Despite the retirements of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Zverev’s quest for a Major title remains elusive. His closest attempts came at the 2020 US Open, where he lost to Dominic Thiem, and at the 2024 French Open, where he battled Carlos Alcaraz for over four hours before falling short.
Despite his underwhelming record in Grand Slam events, Zverev has achieved remarkable success on the ATP Tour. He has claimed 23 ATP titles, including two prestigious ATP Finals victories in 2018 and 2021. His trophy cabinet also boasts seven ATP Masters 1000 titles and five ATP 500 crowns, contributing to his impressive career prize money of $47,543,924, a figure that continues to grow with each passing season.
Zverev enjoyed his career-best season in 2024, highlighted by a strong showing at the French Open, where he reached the final, and victories at two ATP Masters 1000 tournaments in Rome and Paris. These achievements underscore his ability to compete at the highest level, even if a Major title remains just out of reach.
5. Andy Murray- $64 million
Andy Murray, with three Grand Slam titles to his name, is widely recognized as the only player to consistently challenge the dominance of the Big 3. Unfortunately, a career-threatening hip injury dealt a severe blow to his aspirations of adding more Majors to his tally. Despite this setback, Murray’s unwavering competitive spirit and determination allowed him to persevere, even if Grand Slam success remained elusive in his later years.
Murray’s illustrious career includes 46 ATP titles and three Olympic medals, two of which are gold, cementing his legacy as the greatest British male tennis player of the Open Era. However, as injuries began to take a toll in the twilight of his career, Murray decided to bring his playing days to an end. In 2024, he bid farewell to the ATP Tour with a doubles match alongside his brother Jamie at Wimbledon. Later that month, he officially retired following a quarterfinals exit at the Paris Olympics.
Known for his grit and determination, Murray’s ability to compete at the highest level even in the face of adversity earned him not only respect but substantial career earnings. With $64,687,542 in prize money, he ranks fifth on the all-time list, further solidifying his status as one of the wealthiest and most influential figures in tennis history.
4. Serena Williams- $94 Million
Serena Williams, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, brought her illustrious tennis career to a close at the 2022 US Open, a tournament she won six times. Williams first rose to global fame in 1999 when she defeated Martina Hingis at the US Open. Over the next two decades, her Major count steadily grew, culminating in a historic victory in 2017 at the Australian Open. That win was particularly remarkable as she was in the first trimester of pregnancy, sending the world into a frenzy.
With 23 Grand Slam singles titles, Williams holds the record for the most Majors in the Open Era for women’s tennis, second only to Margaret Court, who has 24. These 23 Majors were part of a total of 73 singles titles she won during her career. Williams is also the only player in history to complete the Career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles, a testament to her unparalleled versatility and success across all surfaces and formats.
Throughout her remarkable career, Williams earned a career prize money of $94,816,730, making her not only one of the most dominant players in tennis history but also the highest-earning female athlete in the sport. Her earnings are more than double that of her sister Venus Williams, who ranks as the second-highest earner in women’s tennis.
3. Roger Federer- $130 million
Roger Federer became the highest-paid athlete in 2020, thanks to his lucrative endorsement deals. Over a career that saw him hold the top spot in the men’s rankings for 310 weeks, Federer became a cultural icon, known for his elegance, grace, and charisma. His effortless playing style, which hid the immense hard work behind the scenes, made him one of the most beloved figures in the sporting world, and he played a key role in popularizing tennis globally.
Since his breakthrough, Federer has consistently challenged the best in the game, accumulating trophies one after another. With 103 ATP titles, he holds the second-highest tally of all time, trailing only Jimmy Connors’ 109. Among these titles are 20 Grand Slam victories, which he secured over 15 years—marking the third-most Majors in men’s tennis history.
Federer first captivated the tennis world at just 19 years old when he defeated seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras in the fourth round of the 2001 Wimbledon. This victory heralded the start of a new tennis era, dominated by Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Throughout his legendary career, Federer earned $130,594,339 in prize money, but his off-court earnings far surpassed that figure, cementing his status as one of the wealthiest and most influential athletes in the world.
2. Rafael Nadal- $134 million
Rafael Nadal‘s name is almost synonymous with the French Open, where he achieved unmatched dominance. No player in tennis history has controlled a tournament like Nadal did at Roland Garros. Over the years, he earned a total of $23.7 million from the French Open alone, which accounts for roughly 18 percent of his career earnings of $134,946,100.
Nadal is most followed tennis player on social media, officially retired in 2024 during the Davis Cup, bringing an end to an illustrious career that spanned over two decades. Throughout his career, he won 92 tournaments, including an impressive 63 clay-court titles, solidifying his reputation as the greatest clay-court player of all time.
Nadal’s journey to greatness began with his first Major victory at the 2005 French Open, where he defeated Mariano Puerta in the final. Nearly two decades later, in 2022, he claimed his 14th French Open title, which also marked his 22nd and final Grand Slam victory. His career remains a testament to his relentless drive and exceptional skill on the tennis court.
1. Novak Djokovic- $185 million
Novak Djokovic is expected to remain at the top of the all-time career earnings list for many more years. Although he is nearing the twilight of his career, he continues to be a favorite to win titles and earn substantial prize money in every tournament he enters.
From a young age, Djokovic proved himself to be a player capable of winning multiple Grand Slam titles, challenging the dominance of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. At the time, few could have predicted that he would go on to break numerous records, ultimately surpassing Federer and Nadal with 24 Majors. His first Grand Slam victory came at the 2008 Australian Open, and Djokovic has since earned more than any other player in Melbourne, pocketing around $5 million thanks to his 10 titles there.
Since turning professional in 2003, Djokovic has triumphed in 99 tournaments, earning a career prize money total of $185,065,269. His remarkable resilience and mental toughness have been key to his success, solidifying his place as one of the greatest players in tennis history.
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