Why Novak Djokovic's 2015 prize money record is about to be broken

Several of Novak Djokovic's records will be very challenging to break, but the prize money from his memorable 2015 season might be surpassed soon.

Many believe Djokovic was at his peak in 2015. The 38-year-old won three Grand Slams, the ATP Finals, and made the finals of every tournament he played, apart from his opening tournament of 2015 at the Qatar Open, losing to Ivo Karlovic.

The $21,146,145 that Djokovic earned during that season remains unmatched. However, Carlos Alcaraz and/or Jannik Sinner will likely surpass that total at least once during the years ahead.

Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer dominated men's tennis for several years, with Andy Murray also having a period of consistently challenging for Grand Slams, creating a consistent three-way or four-way split of the prize money given to winners at significant tournaments.

That made Djokovic's 2015 season even more remarkable. Nadal was struggling at that time, but Federer, Murray, and Stan Wawrinka were performing at very high levels. That did not stop Djokovic from dominating.

By contrast, Alcaraz and Sinner are not facing such stiff competition. They have contested the last three Grand Slam finals, a streak Djokovic and Nadal once matched, but the difference is that no one has even threatened them during that run.

Ben Shelton is the most likely American to win a Grand Slam, and Jack Draper, Alexander Zverev, and others are talented. Unfortunately for them, the blunt reality is that none of them is close to Sinner or Alcaraz, who will continue to improve.

That situation means Alcaraz and Sinner have an opportunity to rack up significant prize money each season, giving them the best possible chance to overtake Djokovic.

Ten years ago, Djokovic earned £1.88 million for winning the men's singles title at Wimbledon, out of a total prize money pot of £26.76 million. The organizers actually had to defend that amount after receiving backlash.

Instead of reducing it, the prestigious tournament has done the opposite. Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek received £3 million for winning this year's singles titles, close to double what it was for Djokovic a decade ago.

The Australian Open, French Open, and US Open have also increased their prize money, with the US Open being a particularly pertinent example. Djokovic collected $3.3 million in 2015 compared to Alcaraz's $5 million this year.

Those trends are replicated across most Masters 1000 tournaments. The inflation that has occurred over the past ten years benefits Alcaraz and Sinner now and in the future in a way that was not on offer to Djokovic ten years ago, or to those before him.

In truth, Djokovic's record persisting for now despite the increased prize money is incredible and shows how remarkable his 2015 season is. Although the Serbian has not retired, the better prize money on offer now does not benefit him as much as it would have when he was younger.

When Djokovic was dominating men's tennis in 2015, he stayed rigidly focused on ATP tournaments and ignored exhibitions. That allowed him to earn much from the professional schedule that had not changed much over the years.

The landscape is different now, primarily because of Saudi Arabia. The Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which guarantees $6 million to the champion, offers another way to make significant money outside the ATP Tour.

Saudi Arabia's continued growth beyond the Six Kings Slam, with a Masters 1000 event announced for the future, puts Djokovic's 2015 prize money record in even more jeopardy, since the country was not involved in tennis during the Serbian's record-breaking season.

Djokovic played in both editions of the Six Kings Slam exhibition, but that event is not counted in the official ATP prize money rankings. Although the tennis legend enjoys playing in Saudi Arabia, he may be retired when the new Masters event debuts in 2028 at the earliest.

While the prize money for Saudi Arabia's Masters 1000 has not been revealed, the country's massive financial commitments at the WTA Finals and in other sports mean fans can expect it to be a significant amount.