Why Carlos Alcaraz could break a Novak Djokovic prize money record in 2025
Carlos Alcaraz is used to setting big milestones, and his 2025 US Open triumph means the Spaniard is in line for several more over the coming months and years.
By beating Jannik Sinner to win his second US Open title, Alcaraz has returned to world No 1 and is the second-youngest man in the Open Era to win six major singles titles, with only Bjorn Borg ahead of him.
The Spaniard picked up a record cash windfall of $5,000,000 for his triumph at Flushing Meadows, and that also means he is now in touching distance of breaking the record for the most prize money won in an individual ATP Tour season.
That record is currently held by Novak Djokovic, though it could now be at risk.
How much prize money has Alcaraz won in 2025?
Alcaraz had already amassed a significant amount of prize money this season heading into the US Open, though his record paycheck has pushed him to even greater heights.
With an extra $5 million from winning his second title at Flushing Meadows, the 22-year-old has now won a staggering $15,631,652 already in 2025 — with over two months of the season still left to go.
That is already Alcaraz’s greatest prize money haul in an individual year, eclipsing the $15,196,504 he won across the whole of 2023, and has pushed him to $53,486,628 in the all-time standings.
Only five men in ATP history have earned more career prize money than the Spaniard — Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and Alexander Zverev — and his 2025 haul already ranks as the eighth-best ATP season ever in terms of prize money won.
Tennis News
Carlos Alcaraz makes ‘scared’ confession as he looks back on last game of US Open final
Watch: Aryna Sabalenka accidentally calls Carlos Alcaraz ‘Jannik’ as they reflect on US Open glory
However, his haul of $15,631,652 is only set to increase over the next two and a half months, with a series of major events still to come.
And, that means that Djokovic’s all-time prize money season record from 2015 could be broken.
Djokovic’s 2015 record
Prize money consistently increases every season and has increased dramatically over the past decade, making Djokovic’s 2015 record all the more remarkable.
That season was arguably the peak of the Serbian’s career, holding a 27-1 record at Grand Slams — his one loss coming in the Roland Garros final — and an astonishing 82-6 record overall.
Djokovic won 11 titles and reached a further four finals in 2015, with an ATP Finals triumph and six Masters 1000 victories alongside his Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open wins.
That season, he won $21,146,145 in prize money, the only time any man has ever won more than $20m in an individual season.
Sinner’s 2024 haul of $19,735,703 is currently second in the individual season standings, though Alcaraz could eclipse both him and Djokovic across the rest of the year.
Where will Alcaraz play?
Alcaraz’s full official schedule is not yet confirmed, but we already have an idea of the ATP-level events he will play that will contribute to his prize money haul.
Choosing to skip his China Open title defence, he will instead play at the ATP 500 Japan Open in Tokyo, and is in line to appear at the Masters 1000 Shanghai Masters and Paris Indoors, as well as the year-ending ATP Finals.
The Spaniard could also well choose to play an indoor event before Paris and the year-end championships, with the Swiss Indoors or Vienna Open possibilities.
Even from the events we know he will likely play, the possibility of winning significant prize money is obvious.
According to the ATP Tour website, this year’s Japan Open champion will earn $416,365, while the Shanghai Masters champion is reportedly set to receive $1,124,380.
The Paris Indoors champion is reportedly set to receive €946,610, while the total ATP Finals prize money for an unbeaten champion will likely be increased from the $4,881,100 won by Sinner last year.
Alcaraz will need to go deep at the four events he is set to play, but doing so would likely see him make tour history.
