The Average Tennis Player Salary: Serving Up the Numbers

Figuring out the average tennis player salary can be trickier than one would think. Whether you’re at the pro level or just starting, curious about a favorite player, or just love number crunching: how much tennis players make is always interesting.

The average tennis player’s salary varies between men and women. For instance, men ranking 1-1,000 in the world can pocket an average of $185,106, while women players in that same threshold average closer to $254,394. Moreover, the median average income for male tennis players sits at $22,362, while women’s median income is $75,888. These figures are from 2021-2023 estimates, so they’re up to date.

Are you curious as to how much the average tennis player makes? What about some of the highest-paid tennis players? Luckily, we’ve got much more to answer and share: so keep reading!

Table of Contents:

1. What Is The Average Tennis Player Salary?
2. Professional Tennis Player Income Sources
3. How Much Do Tennis Players Make Per Tournament?
4. Prize Money for Grand Slam Tournaments
5. World Top 100 Tennis Player Earnings Per Year
6. Total ATP and WTA Prize Money in 2023
7. How Do Tennis Players Get Taxed?
8. Top 5 Highest-Earners In Tennis
9. FAQs
10. Conclusion

What Is The Average Tennis Player Salary?

Although this varies by player, the average salary for a tennis player sits between $19,910 to $187,200, with a median salary in the US of $44,680. As we said above, women make a median salary of $75,888 per year, while men often pocket $22,362 on average. Additionally, higher-ranking tennis players make well over six figures annually playing, so this can be an incredibly lucrative career path.

On top of that, male tennis players ranking between 1 and 1,000 in tennis often make $185,106, while women in the same ranking make roughly $254,394 on average. That is a significant difference between the two, which is worth noting.

These figures have been collected between 2021 and 2023, making them the most up-to-date for those wanting to see their potential earnings. That said, tennis can be hit or miss (literally), so some people won’t scratch the surface, while others could become millionaires.

Professional Tennis Player Income Sources

With these numbers fresh in your mind, it’s also worth mentioning the various streams of income professional tennis players often have. For example, prize money, appearance fees, brand deals, exhibition fees, and club tennis deals can all add to the average annual salary of a pro tennis athlete.

We’ll cover each one in greater detail below:

Tournament Prize Money

One of the largest portions of a professional tennis player’s income will derive from tournament prize money. For example, tennis players at the 2022 US Open were offered a grand prize of $2.5 million if they won, with even the first-round loser in a Grand Slam making more than $100,000. Of course, this varies per tournament and is taxable income.

On top of that, in 2022, the US Open (highest-paying tournament) offered a total of $60 million in total player compensation. This was a historic payment amount and could point toward even higher earnings for pro players heading into the next decade.

Tournament Appearance Fees

Another lesser-covered aspect of a professional tennis player’s income is tournament appearance fees. Generally, these are paid out to established or famous players, with Roger Federer being paid about $1.1 million in appearance fees for every tournament before his retirement.

Furthermore, other players will regularly get paid millions of dollars to play in ATP tournaments, like the 250s and other events. It pays to have a recognizable brand and image in this sport.

Brand Deals And Endorsements

The next portion of a pro tennis player’s income comes from brand deals and endorsements. If you’ve ever seen a commercial or advertisement featuring a tennis athlete: they likely made millions of dollars for it. Specifically, professional tennis players pocket between $100,000 to $90+ million for brand deals and endorsements, with icons making even $100 million.

Notably, Serena Williams has earned over $350 million through her off-court endorsements as of 2023 and has a net worth of $260 million. Most tennis players rely on brand deals and endorsements more than they do actual prize money: because it pays better.

This article on the best female tennis players of all time is worth the read.

Exhibition Fees And Bonuses

Much like tournament appearance fees, it’s not uncommon for a professional tennis player to ask for an exhibition fee. This also applies to bonuses, which are paid out at the end of the event. Typically, pro players will ask for a few hundred thousand up to a couple million in exhibition fees, with additional money added later as a bonus.

Club Tennis Deals

The next income stream for pro tennis players comes from club tennis deals. Like much of these revenues for athletes, players can request large sums for club deals and partnerships. This could be a special appearance, training seminar, or social media posting. Regardless, the bigger the player: the higher their paycheck.

How Much Do Tennis Players Make Per Tournament?

For those playing in a tournament, this is where a lot of a tennis player’s money comes from annually. For instance, certain events pay whopping sums to winners (and sometimes losers), while others could be more generous.

Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of tennis tournament rewards below, so you can see how much a player could expect to make if they win.

• United Cup: $15 million in total prize money
• Australian Open: $76.5 million in total prize money
• Dallas Open: $737,170 in total prize money
• Delray Beach Open: $642,745 in total prize money
• Argentina Open: $626,595 in total prize money
• Rio Open: $2 million in total prize money
• US Open: $65 million in total prize money
• Qatar Open: $1.37 million in total prize money
• Dubai Duty Championships: $2.85 million in total prize money
• Miami Open: $8.8 million in total prize money
• French Open: €49.6 million in total prize money
• Wimbledon: €44.7 million in total prize money
• Astana Open: $1 million in total prize money
• China Open: $3.63 million in total prize money
• Rolex Paris Masters: €5.8 million in total prize money

Of course, these are only some of the tournaments this year, with many paying top players and winners millions of dollars.

Prize Money for Grand Slam Tournaments

The money earned for each stage of a Grand Slam tennis tournament can vary by player and event. Considering the four components of a Grand Slam are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, this leaves a lot of cash on the table. Here are the most recent earnings estimates from the Gram Slam Tournaments:

• Australian Open: AUD 76.5 million (around £43.3m)
• French Open: €49.6 million
• Wimbledon: €44.7 million
• US Open: $65 million

So, the potential earnings for these events are incredibly lucrative to nearly anyone playing in them. It’s also worth noting the US Open pays the most of any tennis tournament, so players will want to participate if they have their eyes set on a 6-7 figure income.

World Top 100 Tennis Player Earnings Per Year

For those curious about how much money the top 100 ranked tennis players make yearly, this will blow your mind. Although we won’t put all 100 players’ salaries, here are some of the top-earning ATP players as of 2023:

1. Novak Djokovic — $158,996,253
2. Rafael Nadal — $131,338,131
3. Roger Federer — $130,594,339
4. Andy Murray — $62,895,316
5. Pete Sampras — $43,280,489
6. Stan Wawrinka — $35,052,919
7. Alexander Zverev —$32,407,055
8. David Ferrer —$31,483,911
9. Andre Agassi —$31,152,975
10. Marin Cilic —$30,588,972

Moving into the bottom 90-100:

• Denis Shapovalov: $9,303,108
• Viktor Troicki: $9,265,938
• Adrian Mannarino: $9,167,699
• Pierre-Hugues Herbert: $8,972,885
• Greg Rusedski: $8,944,841
• Marcos Baghdatis: $8,918,917
• Fernando Gonzalez: $8,862,276
• Borna Coric: $8,748,925
• Lukasz Kubot: $8,678,415
• Jimmy Connors: $8,641,040
• Janko Tipsarevic: $8,616,024

Onto WTA stats, here are the top-earning women as of 2023:

1. Aryna Sabalenka: $5,869,635
2. Iga Swiatek: $5,171,686
3. Elena Rybakina: $4,504,437
4. Jessica Pegula: $3,800,412
5. Marketa Vondrousova: $3,758,953
6. Coco Gauff: $2,507,372
7. Ons Jabeur: $2,392,414
8. Petra Kvitova: $2,313,381
9. Karolina Muchova: $2,029,438
10. Beatriz Haddad Maia: $1,797,747

What’s interesting here is that even though female tennis players make more money than men on average, per the WTA and ATP statistics: they make historically (and significantly) less than men each year in tournament winnings alone. That could be why many WTA players secure 6-7 figure brand deals often, as that makes up for the lack of pay in tournament prizes.

Total ATP and WTA Prize Money in 2023

Moving onto the ATP and WTA prize money totals for this year, these figures are slightly different, with the ATP paying out big bucks to male players. Here are those figures for 2023:

ATP Points / Prize

• Winner: 2,000 points / $3 million
• Finalist: 1,200 points / $1.5 million
• Semi-finalists: 720 points / $775,000
• Quarter-finalists: 360 points / $455,000
• 4th round: 180 points / $284,000
• 3rd round: 90 points / $191,000
• 2nd round: 45 points / $123,000
• 1st round: 10 points / $81,500

WTA Points / Prize

• Winner: 2,000 points / $3,000,000 
• Finalist: 1,300 points / $1,500,000 
• Semi-finalists: 780 points / $775,000 
• Quarter-finalists: 430 points / $455,000 
• 4th round: 240 points / $284,000 
• 3rd round: 130 points / $191,000 
• 2nd round: 70 points / $123,000 
• 1st round: 10 points / $81,500 

You can see here playing in the 2023 WTA or ATP tournaments can pay out hefty prizes, especially for those who make it past the fourth round. Winners will pocket $3 million, a great addition to any player’s yearly income. Even making it to the first round pays almost six figures, which we’d happily take any day!

How Do Tennis Players Get Taxed?

The tax structure of prize money and tennis players will vary depending on where this income was made. For example, players at the US Open are expected to pay a tax within the country on their prize money while still having to report the remaining earnings to their home country. This can cut into the money quite a bit, especially for international players: which is something to remember.

Although you could win $10 million at a Grand Slam tournament, that doesn’t mean you’ll pocket the entire eight figures.

It’s also worth mentioning that players are estimated to keep between 55 and 100% of their prize money, with the average amount ranging between 60 – 80%. That all depends on local and federal tax codes and if there is a tax treaty in place.

For instance, here are some tax rate examples at the various tennis tournaments offering large prize amounts:

• Australian Open: Est. 32.5%
• Roland Garros: Est. 30%
• Wimbledon: Est. 40-45%
• US Open: 30%
• ATP 100 Monte Carlo: 0%
• ATP 1000 Madrid: 19-24%
• ATP 1000 Rome: 23-43%
• ATP 1000 Toronto: 25%
• ATP 1000 Shanghai 20-45%

This can vary a bit by country and event. However, expect to pay around 25% or higher in taxes for winnings regardless of where you are. This can help later to avoid issues with tax authorities.

Top 5 Highest-Earners In Tennis

When it comes to the top five highest-earning tennis players, this goes to:

1. Novak Djokovic: $166.86 million
2. Rafael Nadal: $134.64 million
3. Roger Federer: $130.59 million
4. Serena Williams: $94.52 million
5. Andy Murray: $63.54 million

It’s worth noting that these are estimates and don’t include brand deals and other off-court sponsorships. As we covered earlier, Serena Williams is among the highest-paid tennis players in terms of endorsements, so she’s made well over $94 million in her career.

FAQs

How Much Can You Earn Playing Tennis?

Considering the median annual salary for male tennis players is $22,362, and the median income for women tennis players is $75,888, this can be an incredibly lucrative career path. Top performers make well over six figures; some even reach seven or eight figures annually.

How Do Tennis Player Earnings Compare to Other Sports?

Unlike team sports with fixed contracts, tennis players earn money mainly from winning tournaments and sponsorships. This means their income can vary widely based on performance. While top tennis players can make a lot, others might struggle for consistent earnings due to the sport’s individual nature.

Which Grand Slam Tournament Pays the Most?

The largest prize offered at a tennis tournament was in 2022 at the US Open for a whopping $60 million. It’s reported 2023’s payout is closer to $65 million at the US Open, which would again break that record.

Do Male and Female players Earn Equally?

No, male and female players don’t earn equally in tennis. While some tournaments like Grand Slams offer equal prize money, overall, a significant pay gap persists due to factors like viewership, sponsorship opportunities, and historical disparities. Efforts are being made to address this issue and work towards more equitable earnings for all players.

Does Playing Style Affect Earning Potential?

Yes, playing style can influence earning potential in tennis. Aggressive and charismatic players often attract more fans and endorsements, boosting their overall income. However, players with different styles can also carve out successful careers by excelling in their unique strengths and engaging with fans and sponsors.

How Do Players Maximize Their Earnings?

Players maximize earnings by achieving high rankings for better tournament prize money and attracting endorsements through a strong personal brand. Diversifying income sources, making smart investments, and seeking financial advice contribute to long-term financial stability. Successful players balance on-court performance with off-court opportunities to maximize their overall earnings.

Conclusion

This article covered the salaries of tennis players, men and women, and other statistics on taxes, prize money, and alternative income streams for pro athletes. With most professional tennis players averaging $18,000 to over $70,000 annually, this career path can be lucrative and rewarding.