Well, in addition to being one of the most popular sports, tennis is also one of the highest-paying sports in the world. In the past few decades, the prize money of prestigious tennis tournaments, including the U.S. Open, the French Open, the Wimbledon, and the Australian Open, have substantially increased. In the year 2024 alone, the winner’s prize money at these prestigious tournaments exceeded a whopping amount of $3 Million. Without much ado, let’s dive into the highly lucrative world of tennis.
In this article, we will look at the top five biggest prize money ever bagged by a tennis player in prestigious tournaments.
Top 5 Biggest Prize Money Wins in Tennis History
Bianca Andreescu at the 2019 U.S. Open – $3.85 Million
Canadian professional tennis player Bianca Andreescu’s path-breaking triumph at the 2019 U.S. Open is still hailed as one of the most thrilling and commemorated moments in the history of professional tennis. Andreescu fearlessly defeated Serena Williams who had clinched a total of twenty-three Grand Slam titles in her tennis career and ended her dominating spell with a score of 6-3, 7-5. Bianca Andreescu was awarded with a staggering $3.85 million for clinching the 2019 U.S. Open title.
Carlos Alcaraz at the 2023 U.S. Open – $3 Million
The 21-year-old tennis stalwart Carlos Alcaraz proved his mettle and clinched the most coveted U.S. Open title in 2023 and was awarded the staggering prize money of $3 million. Alcaraz faced Daniil Medvedev in the finals of the 2023 U.S. Open and clinched the match in straight sets with the formidable score of 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. Carlos Alcaraz not only clinched the second-largest prize purse in the history of a grand slam valued at a whopping $3 million but also established himself as one of the finest and most formidable tennis players in the world at such a young age.
Rafael Nadal at the 2022 Australian Open – $2.8 Million
The legendary Spanish professional tennis player Rafael Nadal Parera defeated Daniil Medvedev in the finals of the 2022 Australian Open with a formidable score of 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5. The five-set battle lasted for over five hours and after losing the first two sets against Daniil Medvedev, Nadal made a spine-chilling and insane comeback in the remaining three sets. The electrifying victory at the 2022 Australian Open marked Nadal’s 21st Grand Slam title for which he bagged a whopping prize money of $2.8 million.
Daniil Medvedev at the 2021 U.S. Open – $2.5 Million
The stakes of the final showdown between Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic were extremely high as both legendary players were on a mission to complete their Grand Slam in the same calendar year. Daniil Medvedev’s powerful serves and destructive groundstrokes defeated Nadal with a final score of 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Daniil Medvedev took home a staggering prize money of $2.5 million which significantly improved his ranking and solidified his stature in the realms of professional tennis.
Iga Świątek at the 2020 French Open – $1.5 Million
Iga Świątek created history after clinching the 2020 French Open title as she became the first ever Polish professional tennis player to win a Grand Slam title. Iga Świątek brutally defeated Sofia Kenin with a formidable score of 6-4, 6-1 in the finals of the 2020 French Open and was awarded a whopping prize money of $1.5 million, which was also considered to be the highest amount ever won by a female professional tennis player in a tennis tournament. After her iconic victory at the 2020 French Open, Iga Świątek instantly rose to prominence and was placed at No. 17 in the WTA Rankings.
Also Read: Top 5 Most Expensive Tennis Racquets In The World
