Forbes names highest-paid tennis players of the year

Forbes magazine has released a list of the highest-paid tennis players of the year. According to it, five-time Grand Slam champion and world number one, Italian Yannick Sinner, took first place with $ 58 million. Of this amount, $ 23 million is from tournament prize money.

The top three are Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz with $ 53.7 million (of which $ 15.7 million is in prize money) and American Serena Williams with $ 40.1 million (0.1 million in prize money).

According to Forbes, the 10 highest-paid tennis players of 2026 are:

1. Yannick Sinner (Italy) - $ 58 million (23 million is in tournament prize money);

2. Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) - $ 53.7 million (15.7 million is in prize money);

3. Serena Williams (USA) — $40.1 million ($0.1 million);

4. Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) — $36.1 million ($13.1 million);

5. Cori Goff (USA) — $35.5 million ($7.5 million);

6. Novak Djokovic (Serbia) — $30.2 million ($5.2 million);

7. Zheng Xinwen (China) — $22.6 million ($0.6 million);

8. Iga Swiontek (Poland) — $20.5 million ($5.5 million);

9. Alexander Zverev (Germany) — $18.7 million ($13.7 million);

10. Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan) — $17.4 million ($11.4 million).

It is worth noting that Carlos Alcaraz missed most of the season, including Roland Garros and Wimbledon, due to injury.

Serena Williams' return to professional tennis has made the top 10 highest-paid tennis players in tennis history, with more women than men for the first time. According to Forbes, the top 10 earned a combined $333 million over the past year.

Alcaraz, 23, earned about $38 million in the past 12 months through endorsements, appearances, exhibition matches and other commercial activities. Sinner's off-court earnings are estimated at $35 million.

However, when tournament prize money is included, Sinner takes the lead. Since the 2025 US Open, the Italian tennis player has earned a total of $58 million. That's nearly $3.5 million more than Alcaraz's $53.7 million.

Sinner, the world's No. 1 tennis player in the ATP rankings, became the fourth tennis player in 19 years to top Forbes' annual earnings list. He surpassed Alcaraz, who had led the list for two consecutive years.

Novak Djokovic was the top earner in 2023, while Roger Federer held the top spot for 15 consecutive years. The Swiss tennis player retired in 2022.

Sinner's on-court earnings of $23 million were the highest in Forbes' history. The amount includes prize money from ATP tournaments and bonuses awarded by the tour.

The result is especially notable because Sinner took a month off before Wimbledon and was subsequently unable to play due to a knee injury.