Only a handful of players in history have managed to turn their careers into nine-figure career earnings totals. Let's take a look at the players with most career earnings in tennis history.
Tennis is a unique sport in the world of professional athletics. Unlike team sports, where athletes sign massive guaranteed contracts, tennis players earn their money one match at a time. Prize money is performance-based. For decades, men dominated the tennis earnings landscape, thanks in part to larger purses in men’s events and longer careers at the top.
But in recent years, the women’s game has surged, producing global superstars who have earned hundreds of millions both on and off the court. The prize money gap has closed dramatically since the early 2000s, especially at Grand Slam events where men and women now compete for equal pay. Still, only a handful of players in history have managed to turn their careers into nine-figure career earnings totals.
Let's take a look at the players with most career earnings in tennis history.
Also Read: ATP Tour records: Most titles in tennis career (men's)
Most Career Earnings in Tennis History
1. Novak Djokovic | $188,934,053
It is a measure of Novak Djokovic's brilliance and longevity that the 24-time grand slam tournament champion remains by far the highest earner in tennis history. To date, as per the ATP, Djokovic has made over $188 in career earnings, making him the highest earner the sport has ever seen.
In 2022, Reuters reported that Djokovic bought an 80 per cent controlling stake in QuantBioRes, a Danish biotech firm that had been working on a cure for COVID-19 without vaccination, in 2020. Djokovic also invests in his eponymous foundation, which develops early childhood education projects in Serbia.
2. Rafael Nadal | $134,946,100
Rafael Nadal is one of the most successful tennis players in the long history of the sport. The Spaniard has entered the pantheon of tennis greats across his incredible career as a 14-time French Open champion. Nadal also has 22 major singles titles, second behind men's game outright leader Novak Djokovic on 24.
To date, Nadal has made $134,946,100 in career earnings. That makes Nadal the second-highest earner in history behind one of the only players to regularly rival him in recent times in Djokovic. The 38-year-old has raked in more than twice as much across his career as the player immediately behind Federer in the earnings table: Andy Murray. His 2022 Australian Open triumph earned Nadal more than $2m (£1.6m), and his French Open glory was worth around $707,000 (£575,000).
3. Roger Federer | $130,594,339
Roger Federer, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, has left an indelible mark on the sport. Swiss maestro dominated men’s tennis for nearly two decades, winning 20 Grand Slam singles titles and a total of 103 ATP titles. Federer retired in September 2022, bringing an end to an illustrious career that saw him compete against Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as part of the legendary "Big Three." Despite stepping away from the professional circuit, his influence and earnings continue to grow.
Throughout his career, Federer earned $130,594,339 in prize money from ATP tournaments and Grand Slam victories. Federer’s income has been significantly bolstered by sponsorships and endorsements.
4. Serena Williams | $94,816,730
Serena Williams is considered by many to be one of the best female tennis players of all time. She is the highest-earning female player by a mile and is the only female player on this list. Her career on-court earnings top $94,816,730. Serena won more Grand Slam singles titles than any other player, male or female, in the Open Era. She is also a four-time Olympic gold medalist and has won numerous other major titles.
Williams is also one of the most popular endorsement athletes in the world. She earns $15-20 million per year outside of tennis, endorsing companies like Nike and Kraft Foods. In 2004, Williams inked a $40 million deal to produce a fashion line with Nike.
5. Andy Murray | $64,687,542
A three-time major winner and twice an Olympic gold medallist, Andy Murray boasts a career that would leave most professionals envious, even though he had the misfortune of competing at a time when three of the greatest male players in history - Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic were at the peak of their powers. Still, the Scot has earned a significant sum of money through prize funds after winning 46 titles in his storied career, while commercial endorsements have added a huge amount to those earnings.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Murray earned $64,687,542 throughout his career. Combining on-court and off-court activity in the past few years, Murray makes anywhere between $10m-$15 million per annum across the calendar. Roughly, around $5 million (£4.07 million) per year comes from being on the court, whilst the rest will be distributed through various sponsorship and endorsement agreements.
Also Read: Most ATP Masters Titles in tennis history
6. Alexander Zverev | $53,764,389
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Alexander Zverev has a net worth of $53,764,389. Zverev has earned over $51,800,906 via ATP's official website. Having started playing tennis at a very young age, Alexander Zverev is still considered as the next big thing, and the leader of the Next-Gen, post the big three. His main sources of earnings are his tennis career, as well as the endorsement deals he has signed.
Alexander Zverev is sponsored by numerous top brands and businesses. Adidas, Richard Mille, Head, Peugeot, Z-Zegna, and Rolex are a few of the companies that have partnered with Zverev.
7. Carlos Alcaraz | $47,362,248
Carlos Alcaraz could be on his way to becoming the king of tennis, and he is certainly paid like a superstar already. In 2024, Alcaraz was the highest-earning tennis player in the world, according to Forbes. The Spaniard's net worth was more than $42 million, won through victory on the court and lucrative endorsement deals off of it.
Alcaraz has earned $47,362,248 in his career on the tennis court. At just 22-years old, he is already a five-time major champion, meaning he has made plenty of deep runs at the most important tournaments and earned the payouts that comes with them. This year, Alcaraz won clay court tournaments in Monte Carlo and Rome, bringing in more than $1 million at each event. His win at the French Open made him $2.9 million.
8. Daniil Medvedev | $46,779,909
A former world No.1, Medvedev is another one of those players who kept his name in the mix during the domination of the ‘Big Three’. Having won a total of 20 ATP titles, with his first being in 2018, Medvedev made his top 10 debut in 2019 and reached six consecutive finals. His biggest win however, came at the 2021 US Open where he walked away as champion. He beat Djokovic in straight sets to become the third Russian man to win a major singles title, and the first to do so since 2005.
Medvedev has earned $46,779,909 in his career earnings so far in July 2025, which puts him in the 8th spot in the all-time career earnings list.
9. Jannik Sinner | $45,682,097
Fresh off his first-ever Wimbledon trophy, Sinner has already worked his way into the top 10 highest earners, at just 23-years-old. There is no question there is a lot more money in the modern-day game, but it is hard to argue that Sinner does not deserve his place on this list due to the sheer amount of success he has already had in his young career. He is the current world No.1 and has won 20 titles, which include four majors; the 2024 and 2025 Australian Open, the 2024 US Open, and the 2025 Wimbledon Championship.
His recent Wimbledon victory earned him a tidy $4 million - and it is almost inevitable that Sinner will win even more titles and slowly work his way up in the all-time list. Sinner has earned $45,682,097 in his career so far, which puts him in the 9th spot in the all-time career prize money earnings list.
Also Read: Players with most aces hit in tennis history
10. Pete Sampras | $43,280,489
Before retiring as one of the most successful tennis players of all time in 2002, Sampras had won 64 ATP Tour-level titles, including a then record of 14 Grand Slams. His favourite venue was Wimbledon, where he won a staggering seven Championships in just eight years.
Pete has earned $43,280,489 throughout his career. His sponsorships with Nike and Wilson contributed significantly to his wealth.
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