From Court to Cash: How Top Tennis Players are Earning Big Money

The majority of the highest-paid athletes in the world are paid by the teams they play for, be it basketball, football or other types of teams. Professional tennis players, on the other hand, do not play in a team and thus have to earn money in other ways. They make most of their money through tournaments, where they are paid according to how they perform. However, professional tennis players also earn big money from other sources, and we will look at those in more depth below.

This is the main way the majority of top tennis players earn the millions of pounds they do every year. The level of the tournaments they play at is a significant determinant of how much they get paid, with tournaments like ATP and Grand Slams paying a higher figure than Future or Challenger levels.

In 2022, the winner of the US open walked away with $2.6 million while the winner of the Challenger 100 won $14,000. There are two things to remember here. First, players have to be at the very top to play in ATP tournaments or Grand Slams. For the latter, players have to be ranked 104 and above.

Second, top tennis players are paid even if they lose. The amount is determined before the tournament starts, and each player knows how much they will make depending on the round where they exit. Additionally, there is a participation prize pool for players who exit in the first round in most tournaments.

Many top tennis players also earn a significant amount from endorsements and sponsorships. 

Endorsements are arrangements with brands and companies where players and athletes are expected to actively talk up the products and services provided by the brands or businesses they work with. 

Sponsorships are more of a partnership where, while the player might not work directly with a team or product, they will be paid to display a brand in some way, typically through their clothing, equipment and other products.

Endorsements and sponsorships are such a big deal that top tennis players have earned hundreds of thousands of dollars through them. For example, Novak Djokovic earned more than $85 million in 2019 through sponsorships with companies like Mercedes-Benz, Rolex and On Running.

Betting companies are also significant sponsors of tennis events from which athletes earn a percentage. Although the ATP does not allow athletes to display the logos or other branded items of betting companies on their apparel, the organisation allows these companies to promote their content in other ways. Players who want to bet on these events are also allowed to do so, and taking advantage of offers like the Betfred offer for signing up can make things more interesting.

In addition to the prize money, top tennis players are also paid appearance fees for playing in tournaments. Top players have so many ranking points that there is little to no incentive for them to play in smaller ATP tournaments. 

However, every tournament organiser or director knows that having these top players on the court and headlines will attract bigger crowds, and they will therefore sell more tickets. So, they request top players to join the tournament who know that even if they won’t end up taking a lot of points, they will still make some money.

Tournaments pay millions of dollars in appearance fees, and it is estimated that Roger Federer was paid about $1.1 million in appearance fees for every tournament before his retirement. Other players routinely get paid about a million dollars for playing in tournaments like the ATP 250's.

Top tennis players are routinely paid to play in exhibition matches. It is important to mention that exhibition matches can invite players of any ranking as the tournament organiser wants someone who will fill seats, entertain the crowd and make them money.

Players can make millions of dollars per match depending on their ranking and popularity. However, the amount players make from exhibition matches is often a guarded secret, so it is difficult to know how much the average pay is.

There are just some of the many ways top tennis players earn millions of dollars or pounds every year, from prize money to endorsements and investments. These athletes worked hard to build their skills and brands - and lean heavily on both to make money.