Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal from the Shanghai Masters will come with a significant financial cost for the World No. 1. Not only will he lose the chance to add another title and continue increasing his season’s prize money with another Masters 1000 tournament, but he also faces a deduction from the year-end prize pool due to his absence.
The Spaniard is the clear leader in the prize pool that the ATP distributes at the end of the year to the players who have earned the most points in Masters 1000 tournaments and the ATP Finals. For 2025, there is a total of $21 million to be distributed among the top 30 players who have collected the most points across the nine Masters 1000 events and the ATP Finals, according to their participation.
Of the Masters tournaments, only Monte Carlo is optional, while all the others are mandatory. Each Masters event missed equals a 25% deduction from the total prize pool. In Alcaraz’s case — as the strong ranking leader with three Masters titles this season — he will face a significant cut from the $4.5 million corresponding to first place at the end of the season.
The rule states that players lose 25% of the bonus they would receive for each Masters 1000 event they do not play. In this sense, Alcaraz has already lost 50% of his bonus — around $2.25 million — due to missing both the Madrid Open and the Canadian Open. With his absence from the Shanghai Masters, that makes three missed tournaments, and therefore a 75% cut to the total prize.
This means that Carlos Alcaraz would receive only $1.125 million out of the $4.5 million he would have collected had he participated in all the tournaments.
It remains to be seen whether Alcaraz will appear at the Paris Masters at the end of the season. His withdrawal from Shanghai was apparently more precautionary after an intense week at the Tokyo Open, and not due to any worrying injury, so his calendar should not be seriously affected. In that sense, it is expected that Carlitos will play the Paris Masters, held in the last week of October.
If Alcaraz decides to skip the Paris-Bercy Masters as well, he will face a 100% deduction of his prize pool. In other words, he would lose the chance to collect that extra $4.5 million at the end of the season.
For the moment, Alcaraz has already surpassed $16 million in earnings this season thanks to his results in tournaments, which include 8 titles, 2 additional finals, and a record of 67–7 so far this year.
He now has a total of $53.9 million in career prize money, which places him as the 6th player with the most on-court earnings — not including the year-end prize pool. The Top 5 is made up of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and Alexander Zverev. The latter is just slightly ahead of Alcaraz by around $900,000 — a figure Carlitos could very well surpass before the end of this same season, and all at just 22 years of age.
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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