The prize money at the ATP Finals has hit record levels and that is confirmed with the final pay cheques handed out to the game’s elite players.
While the winners and runners-up at the season-ending championships have always collected huge sums of cash, the money earned by players who didn’t make it through to finals Sunday has now reached remarkable levels.
The ATP Finals in Turin are handing out a record $15 million in prize money this year and if the champion at this year’s tournament lifts the trophy with a perfect record, he will earn a staggering $4,801,500.
Jannik Sinner is the only player who can do that after he made it through to this year’s final with four straight wins, including a victory against Daniil Medvedev in Saturday’s semi-finals.
That is an increase over the previous record, which was set in 2022 when Novak Djokovic won $4,740,300. That remains the record prize money for a champion in all of tennis.
It means the players competing in Turin are playing for more money than they would collect in a Grand Slam event, with Alexander Zverev’s earnings for the week especially eye-catching.
The German star was unfortunate to miss out on an appearance in the semi-finals despite beating Novak Djokovic and Andrey Rublev in the group stages of the competition.
Yet Zverev’s disappointment will be heavily cushioned as he earned a massive $1,105,500 for his efforts in Turin.
OLE OLE OLE OLE SINNER SINNER ❤️🏡🇮🇹@janniksin | #NittoATPFinals pic.com/8cbhKPvLC1
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 18, 2023
Zverev is one of FIVE players collecting more than $1,000,000 in Turin, with Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Jannik Sinner all collecting seven-figure prize money cheques.
Each player taking part in the tournaments collected a $325,000 participation fee.
Each win in the group stages is worth $390,000, with a semi-final win worth $1,105,000 and a win in the final worth $2,201,000.
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These figures compare to the £2,350,000 Alcaraz won for winning Wimbledon, which translates to around $2,920,000, while Djokovic won a cheque for $3,000,000 when he won the US Open in September.
“Our players are world-class athletes and it’s our priority to ensure they’re compensated accordingly,” said ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.
“These record increases in 2023 are a strong statement for the ATP Tour and highlights our commitment to raising the bar in tennis.
“It also speaks to the collective progress we’ve been able to make as a sport under the OneVision strategic plan. There is immense potential for growth in our sport when we work together.”
Djokovic is among those who have expressed his concern that too much of the wealth in tennis is focused on players at the top of the game, as he is keen to encourage a greater spread of wealth down the tennis ladder.
“I am really privileged to be able to use my status of being a top player that can, in this times, raise the awareness of players that are struggling,” said Djokovic.
“I personally have earned enough money to live for many more years without playing tennis.”
This is a significant issue for our sport. The sport has to think how we will expand the base. We have to expand this number as much as we can.
“I feel that the players should show the solidarity and show the unity in this moment, show these lower-ranked players that we do not forget about them.”
Jessica Roberts serves up the latest in the world of tennis. With a love for the racket sport, she reports on tennis matches, player rankings, and Grand Slam events, ensuring readers stay informed about the tennis world.
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