The tennis world had barely wrapped up another electrifying season when whispers began circulating about the surprising financial blow awaiting two of its brightest stars, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. As fans celebrated their victories, rivals analyzed their games, and pundits debated their futures, a far more practical reality loomed behind the scenes – one shaped not by forehands or finals, but by paperwork, regulations, and the unforgiving structure of the ATP Bonus Pool.

How did the faces of tennis’ new era suddenly find themselves at the center of this off-court storm? Driven by One Vision, an announcement was made in 2023 that said substantial prize money will be awarded to the top players of the year, taking into consideration both Masters 1000 tournaments and the ATP Finals. It was reported that 30 players who accumulated the most points in these tournaments will receive a bounty of $21 million in total. However, in Alcaraz’s case, he was supposed to receive $4.8 million, but he’ll now get just $2.4 million. Why?

Carlos Alcaraz’s amount got reduced by 25% for each tournament he missed this season. The Spaniard didn’t take part in the Canadian Open or the Shanghai Masters. It’s true that he also missed the Madrid Open this year, but since he was in the city to attend the events and other commitments, he didn’t receive any sanction for that. However, his fierce rival, Jannik Sinner, had missed quite a few tournaments this season (Indian Wells, Miami Open, Madrid Open, and also the Canadian Open); hence, the world number 2 will not receive any bonus pool. Four absences mean a 100 percent reduction. The payout is based on a formula that combines a 70% fixed amount with a 30% variable portion.

Do you know that there is also a bonus pool for the ATP 500 events? The prize money for this category is $3 million, an amount that also depends on participation. Carlos Alcaraz has already pocketed $1 million for topping the ATP 500 bonus standings with 1,930 points.

While Alcaraz and Sinner remain two of the Tour’s most beloved and marketable champions, the ATP’s stance leaves no room for exceptions. The Masters 1000 events are pivotal pillars of the season, and the bonus structure exists to ensure the top stars show up. This time, the system worked exactly as written – though its impact hit harder than anyone expected.

Together, Carlos Alcaraz (8) and Jannik Sinner (6) have won 14 titles this season, but which of these two earned the most prize money this season? They became the first men in the Open Era to meet in three Grand Slam finals in the same season and would also meet in the ATP Finals. Now coming to the prize money, Sinner is the highest earner in 2025. He earned around $19,114,396 this year. It includes the $5.07 million paycheck at the ATP Finals, but it doesn’t include his $6 million payday from the Six Kings Slam.

On the other hand, Alcaraz won $18,803,427 as prize money this year. If we combine the prize money earned by both of them, it’s around $38 million, and guess what? The rest of the top 10 have earned a total of $39.8 million this season. Insane!

Carlos Alcaraz has earned an overall prize money of $57,480,695 in his career so far. While Jannik Sinner, who is two years older than him, has earned 56,632,426. With plenty of years still left in their careers and plenty of tournaments to play, surely these numbers will creep up in the upcoming years. But are they happy to play every tournament that they are supposed to play according to the ATP’s guidelines? Well, there’s a contradiction here…

How did Jannik Sinner respond to criticisms from players like Carlos Alcaraz on the current tennis schedule?

Every season paints a story of triumphs, defeats, and defining moments. But at the Japan Open this year, Carlos Alcaraz revealed a chapter that rarely makes headlines – the silent exhaustion behind the spotlight. He has been raising his voice constantly, along with several other players, against the hectic schedule. While speaking to the media at the Japan Open, the Spaniard was seen yet again addressing this issue with a bold statement.

“I think that the schedule is really tight. They have to do something with the schedule. I think there are too many mandatory tournaments, too many in a row. They put in some rules that we have to play Master 1000s, 500 tournaments, whatever it is. But there are too many rules that we as tennis players are not allowed to have a choice about whether we have to play or not. To be honest, I have to consider in the future if I have to skip some mandatory tournaments just to maintain my physical condition and good shape. Obviously, it’s more than the physical condition.”

He claimed it’s quite demanding mentally, playing so many mandatory tournaments in a row and playing so many tournaments without having days to rest up mentally. Carlos Alcaraz also said that he’s now going to consider skipping some of the mandatory tournaments to keep himself fit both mentally and physically.

In another interview during the Paris Masters, he said that the number of tournaments that players usually play these days is too high. But what does Jannik Sinner have to say about these comments? Does he agree?

“I don’t want to criticize anything. For me, everyone thinks in different ways. We can still, as I always say, we can still choose, you know, as players, you just have to understand what the priority is for ourselves. I always made choices, even last year, you know, sometimes jumping some tournaments. The schedule is what it is. If you want to play a tournament, you have to play tournament. If not, you make another choice to rest or practice, you know, that’s it. So, yeah, it is what it is.”

So while Carlos Alcaraz’s voice represented the urgency – the plea for rest and sustainability. Jannik Sinner’s tone offered perspective – the reminder that choices still exist, even in a system that often feels rigid. What are your thoughts on their comments on the same topic, though?