Top five tennis players with highest prize money earned on ATP Tour in 2024

The ATP tennis season has concluded, marking the end of a lengthy and eventful journey that presented numerous unexpected developments, particularly as the next generation of players began to dominate the storyline. As the competition for awards, trophies, and significant achievements escalated in 2024, the substantial prize money available played a crucial role in attracting tennis professionals of diverse abilities to the host nations.

The 2024 season witnessed the Grand Slams and the ATP Masters continuing to offer substantial payouts to the players. The four major tournaments raised the ante by increasing their prize money for the season. Additionally, the newly introduced Six Kings Slam exhibition event also played a role in enhancing the financial prospects for the players involved.

Coupled with sponsorships, endorsements, and the prize money on offer, tennis players all through the ATP Tour have benefited from windfalls to make the 2024 season productive in more ways than one. 

In this article, let’s look at the elite five at the top of their rankings who lead the field courtesy of their exploits on court and the prize money earned.

5. Daniil Medvedev ($5.57 million)

Daniil Medvedev concluded the year with earnings amounting to $5.57 million, despite not securing any titles in 2024. The Russian athlete experienced a challenging season, failing to defend any of the five titles he achieved in 2023. Although his characteristic determination remains strong, Medvedev is increasingly finding himself at a disadvantage compared to the emerging stars of the current generation, notably Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

The Russian World No. #4 appeared in the title rounds at the Australian Open and the Indian Wells Masters. These two final appearances added $1.68 million to his earnings for 2024. Additionally, Medvedev earned $727,500 at the ATP Finals, despite being eliminated in the round-robin phase. Reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon secured an additional $1.75 million, bringing the total earnings from major events to $4.16 million. The remainder of the total was supplemented by several semi-final finishes at lesser tournaments.

4. Taylor Fritz ($6.91 million)

Taylor Fritz’s winnings of $2.2 million at the ATP Finals combined with the $1.8 million he earned from the US Open amounts to a hefty $4 million from his year-to-date amount bagged as prize money. Fritz also gained another $1.4 million by winning ATP 250 events at Eastbourne and Delray Beach.

The 2024 saw Taylor Fritz become the top-ranked American and conclude the year with a personal best ranking of World No. 4. Furthermore, he secured the Eastbourne title for the third time, making history as the first male player to accomplish this feat. Additionally, Fritz successfully defended his title at the Delray Beach tournament, which he won in 2023. He mirrored Andy Roddick's achievement by becoming the first American to reach the US Open final since Roddick in 2003, thus concluding a nearly twenty-year hiatus for American finalists.

3. Alexander Zverev ($8.83 million)

Third on the list is Alexander Zverev, currently ranked World No. 2. A substantial portion of his total earnings, amounting to $8.83 million, can be attributed to the $1.9 million he earned from winning the Paris and Rome Masters. Additionally, his advancement to the semifinals at Roland Garros provided him with another $1.25 million.

A substantial $1.52 million check for reaching the last four at the ATP Finals in Turin nudged the German up to half his earnings or $4.65 million in 2024. His semi-final finishes at the Australian Open, as well as the Cincinnati and Miami Masters, contributed an extra $1.6 million to his earnings. By winning the ATP 1000s in Paris and Rome, Zverev matched a similar result from the 2021 season when he won the Cincinnati, Madrid. Additionally, he reached the semifinals of the year-end ATP Finals for the fourth time, where he faced Taylor Fritz.

2. Carlos Alcaraz ($9.85 million)

Carlos Alcaraz has consistently been the nearest rival to Sinner throughout the entire season, and in terms of prize money, he ranks second only to Sinner. The Spanish player accumulated $9.85 million from his four ATP tour victories, concluding the season with total earnings just under $10 million. In 2023, he achieved a remarkable total of $15.1 million in winnings along with six titles at the tour level.

Alcaraz's earnings from prize money increased significantly by $5.9 million following his triumphs at Roland Garros, where he earned $2.51 million, and Wimbledon, which contributed $3.38 million to his total. Additionally, his victories at the Indian Wells Masters and the China Open provided him with another $1.8 million. 

Furthermore, he secured an impressive $1.5 million for his participation in the Six Kings Slam exhibition event. The Spaniard’s stand-out milestone was completing the rare Roland Garros-Wimbledon double, also known as the Channel Slam. By winning in Paris and London, the 21-year-old has four Grand Slam titles to his name.

1. Jannik Sinner ($16.91 million)

It is no surprise that Jannik Sinner is the tour leader in terms of highest prize money earned.  The Italian distinguished himself from his competitors through a remarkable season. His triumph at the 2024 Australian Open marked a major milestone in his journey to achieving the impressive success he has experienced this year. This victory in Melbourne awarded him his inaugural Grand Slam title.

Among the eight titles won by Sinner this year, victory at the ATP Finals in Turin contributed heavily to the Italian’s prize money. A sum of $4.88 million flowed into Sinner’s coffers from winning the ATP Finals undefeated. Additional substantial contributions came from his victories at the Australian Open, which awarded him $2.05 million, and the US Open, where he earned $3.6 million.

The largest sum received by the Italian in 2024 was for his victory at the Six Kings Slam exhibition event. The $6 million he garnered in Riyadh is supplementary to his earnings from the ATP Tour. One of his notable achievements includes assisting Italy in defending the Davis Cup, attaining the year-end No. 1 ranking for the first time, and most recently, achieving 25 consecutive weeks at the pinnacle of the ATP rankings.

Cover Credits - Tennis.com