Alexander Zverev's successful career has been demonstrated by the German trailing just four other players in ATP Tour history for prize money won.
Zverev has had consistent results on the ATP Tour this year. That means he is currently the world no. 2, ahead of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. However, he also trails world no. 1 Jannik Sinner by a significant number of ranking points.
The German's achievements including winning an Olympic gold medal, six Masters-1000 titles, two ATP Finals, and 22 titles overall. He is still just 27 and has much time to add to those achievements.
However, Zverev has not won a Grand Slam, losing in the 2020 US Open final and this year's French Open final. Many already consider him the best ATP player in history without a major title.
Former world No. 1 Justine Henin recently gave a brutal assessment of Zverev. She said the Olympic gold medalist is a disappointment because of how defensively he plays and that he could achieve much more with an aggressive style.
Others are more positive about Zverev and his chances moving forward. John Isner and Sam Querrey think Zverev can still win a major title and are more concerned about Stefanos Tsitsipas going in the wrong direction.
Zverev's inability to claim a Grand Slam is undoubtedly frustrating, but he still deserves praise for his considerable achievements. The scale of what he has accomplished is reflected on the list of ATP prize money winners.
Zverev is fifth on the prize money list. He has moved ahead of 14-time Grand Slam winner Pete Sampras, while the German's frequent rival on the court, Daniil Medvedev, is one place further down in seventh.
The only players ahead of Zverev are the so-called "Big 4" members: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray, who dominated the sport for several years.
Murray is in fourth place with over $64 million earned. Zverev, with his total of almost $45 million, is still a long way behind the Briton, but overtaking him by the end of his career is not unrealistic.
However, catching up to the other three players is far more challenging. Federer earned over $130 million, Nadal almost $135 million, while Novak Djokovic is a comfortable leader with an extraordinary $184,480,269 earned during his career so far.
Carlos Alcaraz is already at No. 9 on the list despite being just 21 years old. The four-time Grand Slam champion has made over $35 million so far and is someone who could challenge Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic in the future.
US Open champion Jannik Sinner is up to 17th on the list after his triumph at Flushing Meadows with over $27 million in prize money. Over $10 million of that is from his incredible 2024 season.
The ATP Tour rewards players for being consistent outside of the Grand Slams. Zverev's place on the list demonstrates that, but the two-time Grand Slam runner-up is undoubtedly desperate to break his curse at the majors.
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