Serena Williams’ ex-coach, Rennae Stubbs, was shocked by how Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz closed in on Steffi Graf’s $21.8 million career prize money in just one season. The gap in prize money offered by events has changed drastically over the years.
During the latest episode of The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, the Aussie coach was discussing Sinner and Alcaraz’s 2025. She noted their records for the year, and although Alcaraz had more wins in the bag, Sinner had a larger share of the prize money.
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According to the ATP website, Sinner won $19,114,396 while Alcaraz won $18,803,427. Speaking about it, Stubbs said (from 11:00):
“And Sinner won over 19 million dollars, while Alcaraz won 18.8 million dollars. So that in itself shows you how much Sinner won more in the big matches.”
Further, she realized the prize money gap between the latest era compared to Steffi Graf’s era. The German tennis icon won $21,895,277 in her career, which includes 22 Grand Slam titles along with several more singles and doubles titles.
“Just so everybody knows, Steffi Graf, for all the Germans out there, won 19 million dollars in her entire career. Her entire career. And you know how many major titles she won? Twenty-two. So just take that and lock that in the bank and think, wow, how lucky these players are to be playing the sport they’re playing now,” Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rennae Stubbs added.
Notably, Sinner and Alcaraz’s prize money includes only what they won from official ATP events. The pair has collected several million dollars in prize money in exhibitions as well.
Comparing Steffi Graf’s career titles to Jannik Sinner’s and Carlos Alcaraz’s
Steffi Graf is one of the most successful tennis players in history, winning 107 career singles titles, including 22 Grand Slam championships. She earned about $21.9 million in prize money before retiring in 1999, at a time when tournament purses were much smaller than today’s.
By contrast, modern stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are competing in an era of exponentially higher prize money. Alcaraz has won 24 career ATP titles and over $57 million in career prize money, while Sinner has also claimed 24 titles and crossed $56 million in earnings.
These totals reflect both their success and the much larger purses on offer now, such as the 2025 Wimbledon champion cheque of £3 million (about $4 million). The shift in tennis prize money over time highlights how the sport has grown commercially and globally.
Edited by Aliasgar Ayaz
