After winning the 2023 Wimbledon Championship, Carlos Alcaraz’s earnings this year are on par with the 274th highest-paid NFL player. Despite having the U.S. Open and ATP Finals ahead in the 2023 calendar, Alcaraz would need near perfection to come close to the annual salary of an NFL or NBA player.
However, tennis players do benefit from substantial endorsement money, which can triple their career earnings. Most tennis players on both the WTA and ATP circuits make a significant portion of their income from endorsements.
Carlos Alcaraz Would Only be the 274th Highest-Paid NFL Player
Last year, Alcaraz’s career earnings totaled $5.9 million, placing him in the top 300 in NFL salaries. So far in 2023, he has won a total of $4,831,089 with Wimbledon. Even with a major championship victory this year, Alcaraz’s yearly salary wouldn’t come close to the highest-paid NFL or NBA players.
While major championship purses are lucrative, tennis players tend to earn a substantial portion of their salary from off-court earnings. Last year, Alcaraz earned more money from his endorsements than from his performance on the court.
At Wimbledon, the purse was valued at $56,600,000, which was split among players at each stage. The winner, Carlos Alcaraz, took home a cool $2.74 million. However, compared to other sports like golf, where the PGA Tour offers up to $20 million per week at some events throughout the year, tennis prize money seems relatively lower.
Despite tennis being a very popular sport, players earn 86% of their total earnings from endorsements. Players like Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, and others double their income through endorsements.
Men’s ATP Tour Believes There Should Be a Players Union
In his latest interview on Game Plan, Nick Kyrgios opened up about how tennis players are severely underpaid. Despite the considerable effort put into playing in a tournament, the prize money and career earnings aren’t as generous as those in other sports like the NBA and NFL.
Unlike other professional sports, tennis is the only major sport without a players’ association.
There is no advocate like in other sports that has the players’ best interests in mind. The NBA, NHL, and NFL all have their own players’ associations, which not only negotiate for players while they are competing but also help them transition after their playing careers.
Kyrgios stressed the need for a players’ association in tennis. Even the best player in the world, Alcaraz, had the same career earnings as the 274th highest-paid NFL player. While there is a lot of money to be made in tennis, many players do struggle to make ends meet.
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