RIYAD. An “incredible year”, and it’s the same Jannik Sinner thus defining 2024 which crowned him king of world tennis. Number 1 on the court and also in earnings, because the blue is the one who has collected the most of all: the rich loot pocketed at the Six Kings Slam, the millionaire show in Arabia which brought together the greats of the racket and that Sinner won, beating his Spanish rival, Carlos Alcaraz, in the finalwidely surpassed even in the distance challenge by millions.
Sinner has earned 16.6 million euros so faron which the 5.5 obtained with the victory in Riyadhmore than what he earned with the triumph in the two Slams, Australian e Us Open (which in terms of prize money earned the South Tyrolean 1.95 million and 3.32 million respectively). The successes at the Miami and Shanghai Masters were worth 1.015 million per tournament, while the victory in Cincinnati was worth 970 thousand. At Roland Garros Sinner reached the semi-final earning 650 thousand euros, with the quarterfinals at Wimbledon he pocketed 450 thousand. For the tournaments won in Halle and Rotterdam 420 and 400 thousand, as well as the final in Beijing 345 thousand. The semifinal at the Monte Carlo Masters 275 thousand, the fourth in Madrid and Montreal 162 and 157 thousand respectively. The final blow came from the monstrous prize pool of the exhibition tournament in Arabia, which brought in 5.5 million euros. The 300 thousand euros he would have earned for the semi-final at Indian Wells were deducted, but removed due to the clostebol affair. The season is coming to an end but it is not over: and Sinner can aim for other goals, also in economic terms: there is still the Masters 1000 in Bercy to play which offers 825 thousand euros as a prize, but the ATPs will make the difference Finals in Turin. The masters’ tournament gives the undefeated winner almost 5 million euros: if Sinner were to make a clear path (difficult but not impossible) he would exceed 21 million euros in a single season, a figure never reached before.
And we’re only talking about prize money, because the blue tennis player is a real brand that attracts sponsors: the decidedly more profitable one is the Nike to which he has been linked since 2019 and would guarantee him around 15 million a year to which about 5 more must be added for the top companies that have chosen the sample as testimonials. Alcaraz, his direct pursuer, has so far amassed 11 million euros, winning two slams (Wimbledon and Roland Garros) but fewer tournaments than the Italian. However, the Spaniard has also accumulated money thanks to the Olympic silver in Paris (around 50 thousand euros) and in any case from ‘defeated’ in Riyadh he collects 1.4 million euros.
“2024 was undoubtedly an incredible year, I showed a lot of solidity, but it is essential to continue working and understand how to improve. Everything revolves around this” Sinner’s words after the success in Arabia. An event that the Italian tennis player defined “a very nice experience, something different, with a lot of public following”. Also in the stands cheering for him was the former AC Milan coach, Stefano Pioli, who landed in millionaire football for the Arabs.
(photo EPA/STR)