Jannik Sinner may have been forced to end his US Open campaign because of a right knee injury, but the Italian star has still come out on top in another major battle. The reigning Wimbledon champion has displaced Carlos Alcaraz at the summit of Forbes’ 2026 list of the world’s highest-paid tennis players. The rankings also make history, with women accounting for more than half of the sport’s top 10 earners for the first time, with Serena Williams’ return playing a role.
The on-court rivalry between Sinner and Alcaraz may have been briefly disrupted by injuries, but their financial contest remains just as competitive. Alcaraz, 23, collected an estimated $38 million in off-court income over the past year through endorsements, appearances, exhibitions and business ventures, ahead of Sinner’s $35 million. However, prize money puts Sinner ahead overall, with the 25-year-old estimated to have earned $58 million in pretax income since the 2025 US Open, roughly $4 million more than Alcaraz’s $53.7 million.
Jannik Sinner Tops Forbes Tennis Rich List as Women Make History in Top 10
Jannik Sinner has moved to the top of Forbes’ annual list of the highest-paid tennis players, earning an estimated $58 million in pretax income over the past 12 months. The 25-year-old Italian also set a new record on the list with $23 million in on-court earnings, boosted by prize money, tour bonus pools and his success at major events despite missing time with a knee injury. Sinner becomes only the fourth man to finish No. 1 in the 19-year history of the rankings, following Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.
The 2026 list also marks a historic shift for women’s tennis, with six women featuring among the top 10 earners for the first time. The sport’s leading players collectively made an estimated $333 million over the past year, a 17% increase from 2025 and the second-highest total in the ranking’s history. Serena Williams’ return was a major factor, with the 44-year-old earning an estimated $40.1 million to rank third overall, despite receiving just $131,932 in prize money from four tournaments before the US Open.
Aryna Sabalenka finished fourth with $36.1 million, while Coco Gauff followed in fifth after earning $35.5 million. Gauff’s total was down from the $37.2 million she made the previous year, when she was the highest-paid female athlete and ranked third overall on Forbes’ tennis earnings list. Iga Swiatek and Zheng Qinwen also made the top 10, while Elena Rybakina’s $17.4 million set the minimum earnings required to enter this year’s elite group.
Forbes 2026: Meet the Top 10 Highest-Paid Tennis Players in the World
| Rank | Player | Country | On-Court Earnings | Off-Court Earnings | Total Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | Italy | $23.0 Million | $35.0 Million | $58.0 Million |
| 2 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | $15.7 Million | $38.0 Million | $53.7 Million |
| 3 | Serena Williams | United States | $0.1 Million | $40.0 Million | $40.1 Million |
| 4 | Aryna Sabalenka | Belarus | $13.1 Million | $23.0 Million | $36.1 Million |
| 5 | Coco Gauff | United States | $7.5 Million | $28.0 Million | $35.5 Million |
| 6 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia | $5.2 Million | $25.0 Million | $30.2 Million |
| 7 | Qinwen Zheng | China | $0.6 Million | $22.0 Million | $22.6 Million |
| 8 | Iga Swiatek | Poland | $5.5 Million | $15.0 Million | $20.5 Million |
| 9 | Alexander Zverev | Germany | $13.7 Million | $5.0 Million | $18.7 Million |
| 10 | Elena Rybakina | Kazakhstan | $11.4 Million | $6.0 Million | $17.4 Million |
With Sinner leading the way and six women breaking into the top 10, the 2026 Forbes rankings underline the growing financial power and commercial appeal of tennis stars across both tours.
