Serena Williams’ former coach Rennae Stubbs expressed her surprise at how quickly Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have moved closer to Steffi Graf’s career prize money of $21.8 million in just a single season. She highlighted how dramatically prize money at tennis events has increased compared to previous eras.

On the latest episode of The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, the Australian coach spoke about Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s 2025 seasons. She pointed out that while Alcaraz had recorded more match wins, it was Sinner who had earned a greater share of the prize money.

As per the ATP website, Jannik Sinner earned $19,114,396 in prize money, narrowly edging Carlos Alcaraz, who collected $18,803,427. Commenting on the numbers, Stubbs said around the 11:00 mark:

Comparing Steffi Graf’s career titles to Jannik Sinner’s and Carlos Alcaraz’s

Steffi Graf remains one of the most decorated players in tennis history, having captured 107 singles titles and 22 Grand Slam trophies. She accumulated roughly $21.9 million in prize money before retiring in 1999, an era when tournament prize pools were far lower than what players compete for today.

In contrast, today’s leading players such as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are benefiting from an era of dramatically increased prize money. Alcaraz has captured 24 ATP titles and earned more than $57 million in career prize money, while Sinner has also won 24 titles and surpassed $56 million in total earnings.

These figures underline not only their on-court achievements but also the significantly higher prize money available today, highlighted by the 2025 Wimbledon champion’s cheque of £3 million (around $4 million). The evolution of tennis prize money clearly shows how the sport has expanded both commercially and on a global scale.