Jannik Sinner tops the list of the highest-paid players, earning 1,400 euros for every minute played
The Tennis Connected website has calculated the value of the minutes spent on the court by the top players on the tour, compiling a special ranking. At the top is Jannik Sinner, who is also ranked No. 1 in the world in this ranking. The Italian earns an average of about 1,403 euros per minute played (equivalent to 1,611 dollars), a figure that perfectly captures an extraordinary season. So far, he has suffered only three losses (at the Australian Open, in Doha, and at Roland Garros) and has won all five Masters 1000 tournaments played to date: Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid, and the Italian Open. This exceptional performance places him at the top in terms of efficiency when considering time spent on court versus prize money earned.
Carlos Alcaraz follows closely behind, with an average of 1,320 euros per minute. The Spaniard has played fewer tournaments than Sinner, partly due to the right wrist injury that has sidelined him since mid-April and could force him to take a long break. Despite this, his results in the first part of the year allow him to maintain extremely high earnings. In third place is Alexander Zverev, who still exceeds the €1,000-per-minute threshold. The German has earned approximately €6.34 million in prize money, equivalent to €1,149 for every sixty seconds of play. His average is likely influenced by the high number of minutes played in matches that are often long and hard-fought, despite his top-tier results and victory at Roland Garros.
Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, is a case unto himself. Although he has played fewer matches than in the peak years of his career, the Serbian champion continues to deliver a remarkable return, earning approximately 748 euros for every minute spent on the court. Surprisingly, another Italian appears in fifth place on this particular ranking: Flavio Cobolli. Thanks mainly to his run at Roland Garros, the Roman has surpassed 2.7 million euros in season prize money, averaging 685 euros per minute. The Paris Slam also contributed significantly to the increase in Matteo Arnaldi’s earnings, who reached an average of 483 euros per minute played.
This isn’t the first time Sinner has topped a ranking of this kind. Already at the end of 2025, he had topped the rankings for earnings relative to time spent on court, with approximately 130,000 euros per hour of play, ahead of Alcaraz, who stood at just over 100,000 euros. It was a season highlighted by victories at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, but also marked by his forced absence from four Masters 1000 tournaments (Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and Madrid) during the three-month suspension agreed upon with WADA regarding the Clostebol case. Upon his return to the court at the Italian Open, he was defeated in the final by Alcaraz. This year, however, he got his revenge by winning all the tournaments he had been unable to compete in. After all, in top-level tennis more than ever, time is money.
