Zverev, overtaking Jannik Sinner in the paperboy rankings

With his triumph at Roland Garros, Alexander Zverev has finally erased the label of the best player in history without a Slam title. The German, imposing himself in the final over Flavio Cobolli, won the first Major of his career, an achievement that represents a breakthrough on both the sporting and economic fronts.

Thanks to the victory in Paris, the world number 3 has collected $3.2 million (about 2.8 million euros), the same amount received by the women’s tournament champion, Mirra Andreeva. This check brings the total prize money earned in Zverev’s career to about $65.8 million (57 million euros), allowing him to surpass, albeit by a narrow margin, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in the ranking of the richest tennis players by prize money.

Prior to the Paris Slam, in fact, Alcaraz and Sinner occupied the fifth and sixth positions, respectively, with about $65 and 64.8 million accumulated. Despite a shorter career than the German’s, the Spaniard’s seven Slam titles and the Italian’s four explain their rapid rise in this ranking. For Zverev, moreover, Roland Garros has also had a huge weight on the season’s balance sheet: more than half of his 2026 earnings of more than $6 million came precisely because of his Parisian success.

While in the ATP rankings the German remains behind Sinner and Alcaraz, occupying the third position, at least on the prize money front he can now boast a small advantage over the two major players of contemporary tennis. A lead that may be temporary, but one that nonetheless certifies the importance of his victory in Paris.

Ahead of him remain only three legends of world tennis. At the top is Novak Djokovic, the absolute leader with some $193.4 million won in his career, followed by Rafael Nadal with 135 million and Roger Federer with 130.6 million. Impressive numbers, accrued in eras when tournament prizes were often lower than they are today.

Looking ahead, however, Sinner and Alcaraz seem to have all the makings to approach and, perhaps, put the podium occupied by Nadal and Federer in their sights. In the meantime, Zverev is enjoying the moment: the first Slam of his career has given him prestige, a new sporting dimension and even a prominent place in one of the most prestigious economic rankings in world tennis.