Jannik Sinner's incredible breakthrough 2024 season was the most financially lucrative in ATP and tennis history.
Sinner began 2024 without a Grand Slam to his name. Although he ended 2023 strongly by finishing as the runner-up at the ATP Finals and winning the Davis Cup with Italy, Sinner still needed to prove he could get to the very stop.
The 23-year-old answered those questions emphatically in 2024. Sinner began the year with a stunning run to a maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, recovering from losing the first two sets in the final against Daniil Medvedev.
Sinner's other major title this season was at the US Open. He only lost two sets throughout his seven matches in New York and beat Taylor Fritz in the final to secure both hardcourt Grand Slams in 2024.
Although the four Grand Slams are the pinnacle of tennis, they were not Sinner's only success in 2024. The ATP year-end No. 1 delighted his home fans in Turin, Italy, by winning the season-ending ATP Finals for the first time.
After those efforts, Sinner must have been fatigued, but he still elected to play in the Davis Cup. That brought further success, with Italy claiming back-to-back titles after Sinner triumphed against Tallon Griekspoor.
Another notable moment was Sinner's appearance at the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia in October alongside Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Holger Rune.
Sinner defeated Alcaraz in the final and received the largest paycheck in tennis history: $6 million. That was an extraordinary amount for winning three matches, but it demonstrates Saudi Arabia's financial influence.
Afterward, the US Open champion insisted he did not play for money but only competed at the Six Kings Slam exhibition to test himself against some of the best players in the world. Many tennis fans were skeptical of how genuine that was.
Sinner also received the most significant amount ever awarded at an ATP tournament at the ATP Finals, $4,805,000. That meant the Italian earned almost $11 million just from the Six Kings Slam and the ATP Finals before even considering other tournaments.
Sinner's achievements at other events throughout the year, combined with his Six Kings Slam and ATP Finals winnings, made his 2024 season the most financially lucrative ever, ahead of Djokovic's 2015 season, which had been No. 1.
The world No. 1 is estimated to have earned about $300,000 for helping Sinner win the Davis Cup title, adding to the $16,946,149 he accumulated during the ATP season. His $6 million from the Six Kings Slam takes the total to around $23,246,149.
That is a startling amount and more than Novak Djokovic's $21,146,145 from 2015. Saudi Arabia's involvement in tennis is expected to increase further on the ATP and WTA Tours, meaning huge prize money pots will become more common. The country hosted this year's WTA Finals.
There have also been rumors about Saudi Arabia being awarded a Masters 1000 tournament on the ATP and/or the WTA Tours, but that has yet to come to fruition.
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