Carlos Alcaraz is on the verge of breaking the Top 20 in the all-time list of highest prize money earners, and he'll be a clear-cut favorite to eclipse most of the sport's greatest players by next year.
Recently, we expounded on how Alcaraz's constant pursuit for greatness and increased player prize money in tennis tournaments year-on-year puts the 20-year-old on the flight path to become the highest prize money in tennis history.
Alcaraz only made his ATP debut at 16 in 2020, just under four years ago, but he's accumulated career prize money in the region of $21 million. Following his surprise exit in the round of 16 at the Shanghai Masters, the World No. 2 moved into 21st position in the all-time list of prize money earners.
In late August, the Murcia native became the first player born in the 2000s to cross the $20 million mark in career prize money. In his short and storied tennis career, Alcaraz has made more in on-court earnings than the likes of John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, and Gustavo Kuerten.
Obviously, prize money keeps shooting upward every season because of limiting factors such as inflation distorting earnings over a long period of time. Payouts at the infancy stage of the Open Era account for just a tiny fraction of current paychecks.
This largely explains why players with fewer Slams or who might not have won a major in the current era have made more in prize money than some of the legends and multiple Slam champions of the past. Alcaraz is already on course to record his first $10 million season in 2023, which would take his career earnings to inside the Top 20.
Alcaraz is destined to pass many names in the Top 20. He'll most likely crack the Top 10 at this time next year, potentially surpassing Grand Slam champions like Boris Becker, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Andre Agassi, and Dominic Thiem.
Another eight-figure season will put him above compatriot David Ferrer and former US Open champion Marin Cilic who currently occupy the last two spots in the Top 10 list.
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