Novak Djokovic tops the prize-money charts in 2020, Rafael Nadal sees a 70% decline in earnings
Novak Djokovic has topped yet another annual ATP chart - this time as the top earner in 2020. The Serb has amassed a mind-boggling $6,435,158 this year, which is quite impressive given how starved of tournaments the season has been.
In second place stands the newly crowned US Open champion Dominic Thiem, with $6,024,876. World No. 2 Rafael Nadal is a distant third with a total of $3,856,128.
All three have seen a dip in their earnings from 2019, with Rafael Nadal suffering a massive 70% decline. Needless to say, the pandemic has caused a huge shift in the financial structure of tournaments, and that could well continue in the 2021 season.
Daniil Medvedev ($3,607,670), Alexander Zverev ($3,255,077) and Andrey Rublev ($2,169,488) are next in line. Rublev is the only player in the top 10 to have seen an increase in earnings from the year before. And that is hardly a surprise given that he has won the most titles (five) and the joint-highest number of matches (41) on tour.
A break-down of Novak Djokovic’s 2020 income and comparison with 2019
Novak Djokovic’s total prize money in 2020: $6,435,158
Novak Djokovic’s total prize money in 2019: $11,517,228
Novak Djokovic began the year by winning the Australian Open, which saw him pocket a cool $3 million. Interestingly, nearly half of his total prize money in 2020 was earned at a single tournament.
The World No. 1 had also won the ATP Cup ahead of the Australian Grand Slam, adding approximately $1 million to his bank balance. Winning the Dubai Open gave Novak Djokovic another half a million US dollars.
On the other hand, the Serb's two Masters triumphs (Cincinnati and Rome) combined for $530,500 (approximately), showing how adversely the pandemic has impacted tennis' finances.
In 2019, Novak Djokovic had collected a whopping $11,517,228 in prize money, more than half of which came from his triumphs at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. In addition to that, the Serb had also won titles in Paris (Masters 1000), Tokyo (ATP 500) and Madrid (Masters 1000).
The Serb played 15 tournaments in 2019, but this year he participated in just nine - out of which he didn't earn anything at one. The Serb's disqualification at the US Open saw his entire prize money getting docked.
Novak Djokovic’s fall in income: Approx. 44%
A break-down of Rafael Nadal’s 2020 income and comparison with 2019
Rafael Nadal’s total prize money in 2020: $3,856,128
Rafael Nadal’s total prize money in 2019: $12,859,587
Rafael Nadal has had an even more truncated season than Novak Djokovic. The World No. 2 has participated in just seven events all year, winning two - the French Open and the Mexico Open.
In 2019, Rafael Nadal played 13 events, out of which he won four.
The 2020 French Open victory gave the Spaniard $1.9 million (approx.), a far cry from the $2.75 million he had collected for winning the same event last year. The fact that this event took place after the resumption of the tour clearly affected its financial position.
Rafael Nadal had taken home $3.85 million for his US Open victory last year. But in 2020 he opted out of the New York Slam, citing health and safety reasons.
In 2020, the Mallorcan amassed another million-odd from the ATP Cup and ATP Finals. Rafael Nadal's title in Acapulco gave him $372,785, which is more than his income from the Paris and Rome Masters combined.
Rafael Nadal’s fall in income: Approx. 70%
A break-down of Dominic Thiem’s 2020 income and comparison with 2019
Dominic Thiem’s total prize money in 2020: $6,024,877
Dominic Thiem’s total prize money in 2019: $7,091,603
Dominic Thiem didn't see a huge decline in his earnings from 2019, even though he won just one title this year.
The Austrian had won five tournaments in 2019 - Vienna, Bejing, Kitzbuhel, Barcelona and Indian Wells. But 2020 saw the Austrian lifting his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open, for which he pocketed a neat $3 million.
Thiem’s runner-up performance at the Australian Open this year gave him an additional $1.5 million (approx.).
Dominic Thiem made his second consecutive title-match at the year-ending ATP Finals, giving him another $861,000 in the process.
The remainder of Thiem’s was from the ATP Cup, Rio Open, Cincinnati Masters, Roland Garros and the Vienna Open.
Dominic Thiem took part in eight events this year, a far cry from the 21 events he had played in 2019. However, his average income from each tournament has gone up, given his magnificent performances at the Australian Open and US Open.
Dominic Thiem’s fall in income: Approx. 15%