Ranked: The world’s highest-paid tennis players in 2024

Tennis is arguably the most popular individuals game in the world, and prize money from majors and brand deals is just that little bit sweeter and more lucrative when it's all for one person.

Fans often pay big bucks to see their favorite tennis players competing at majors, so it's no surprise that there's a lot of money to be earned for the world's best. We'll take a look at the world's highest-earning tennis stars in 2024, with all metrics sourced from Forbes.

Sabalenka is fresh off of winning the 2024 U.S. Open, which comes with a $3.6 million prize, according to the major's website. She also started the 2024 season off with a bang, winning the 2024 Australian Open.

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Sabalenka brings laser focus and supreme intensity to her matches, but is a much gentler person away from the tennis court. Some of this was evident in Netflix's Break Point, which went behind the scenes to capture her personality on off days. One website said, "Sabalenka stands out as a fun-loving extrovert among a sea of quiet introverts."

According to Tennis Majors' website, Ruud is the highest-ever ranked Norwegian player and continues to demonstrate why he's one of the best in the world. With that said, he still has work to do, as he's never won a major, but he's still become a popular player.

$10 million of Ruud's earnings came from endorsements, which included dealing with Fleming watches and Swedish bank Handelsbanken. According to Sportskeeda, he also has deals with Porsche and Vasser.

Sports fans love a good comeback story, and Osaka has provided just that. She's a four-time Grand Slam tournament champion, but is still finding herself after a long hiatus.

Some might be surprised to see Osaka on a list like this, considering that her tennis career has been put on hold due to injury, pregnancy and mental health struggles. Forbes believes that her willingness to show vulnerability has made her valuable to sponsors. Nearly her entire 14.6 million figure came from endorsements.

The New York Times has called Medvedev the "fly swatting enigma of men's tennis." They believed that his forehands and backhands are more like swats instead of strokes. Tennis coach Darren Cahill said, "We learn every time we step on to the court playing Daniil."

In addition to being one of the best tennis players in the world, Medvedev also has a passion for playing video games. This has parlayed itself into partnerships with HyperX, EA Sports and Ubisoft.

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Nadal battled physical ailments in his late 30s to keep his remarkable career going. However, on October 10th, he announced his retirement. Former women's tennis star Garbiñe Muguruza told Marca, "His body, his mind, everything. It's also time to enjoy his son. I see him smiling all the time with his son. Why are you still on the court? Go home, take the boat, go to Mallorca? I think he gave everything he had."

Nadal is well-suited to continue making significant sums of money in retirement. Forbes noted that he became an ambassador for the Saudi Arabian Tennis Federation, which is believed to be paying Nadal at least seven figures per year. He has also had a partnership with Kia that's lasted over twenty years.

Like Sabalenka, Sinner started and ended the year in grand fashion. The Italian won the Australian Open and the U.S. Open, proving why he was ranked number 1 in the world coming into the final major of 2024.

Sinner is a pitchman for De Cecco pasta, Lavazza coffee and Gucci. He also works with La Roche-Posay and Rolex off the court as well. His earning ratio was relatively even, as he made $11.6 million on the court, and $15 million off of it.

Popcorn Tennis' website has talked about how Swiatek prefers to remain away from the spotlight, which is easier said than done considering her standout tennis career. The piece noted that she writes a lot of notes down that allow her to reflect on her performance and how she can improve moving forward.

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Swiatek has been mindful of player safety, and said that she thinks the tennis schedule may need some tweaking. According to Forbes, Swiatek said after the U.S. Open, "Obviously it's not our decision, but for sure I think we have too many tournaments in the season. It's not going to end well."

Gauff is one of the best pure athletes in tennis, as she was being compared to the legendary Steffi Graf when she was a teenager. She appears to have taken the mantle from Serena Williams as the most recognizable American player, which has lucrative benefits.

Gauff has had a banner year, even if she's fallen a bit short of expectations on the tennis court. Along with LeBron James, she was selected to be one of the U.S. flagbearers at the 2024 Olympics, which is an honor that will always be mentioned next to her name.

The checks just keep on coming for Djokovic. It was announced during the 2024 U.S. Open that he signed a multi-year partnership with hospitality brand Aman. He's also worked with Adidas, Lacoste and Uniqlo, amongst many others during his illustrious career.

Djokovic's legacy is right up there with anyone who has ever played, and his name-brand recognition may withstand the test of time. Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic has spoken about building a museum in his honor in Belgrade, according to Forbes.

The torch of greatness appears to have been passed to Alcaraz, who was the highest-earning tennis player on the list. According to Forbes, fans will be able to get even closer to the Spaniard, as Netflix is producing a documentary specifically about him that is expected to be released in 2025. The Guardian called him the "most exciting player in men's tennis."

According to SportsPro Media, Alcaraz gets paid $20 million per year from Nike, and that figure might only go up if Alcaraz continues his meteoric ascension to the top of men's tennis. According to Sportico, he also has deals with BMW, Calvin Klein, Rolex, and many others.

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