$3M bonus cut shockingly stops Carlos Alcaraz from matching Novak Djokovic’s 2015 prize money record

Carlos Alcaraz had a career year in 2025, winning eight titles, including two Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros and the US Open, before finishing the year as World No. 1. Alcaraz is also the ATP Tour’s prize-money leader; however, he missed Novak Djokovic's single-season all-time prize money record by just $3 millon.

According to a report published by ATP, Alcaraz earned $21,354,778 in prize money and leads the group of all men's tennis stars. Jannik Sinner came second as he earned $19,120,641 in prize money. Despite these whopping earnings, Alcaraz fell short of Djokovic's single-season prize-money record of $21,146,145, set in 2015, because of an ATP bonus payout reduction.

Actually, under the ATP's bonus players rule, players earn extra prize money based on points earned by playing the Masters 1000 tournaments and the ATP Finals. However, they are also penalized if they don't turn up for such events, facing a 25% reduction for every tournament they fail to participate in because of injury or withdrawal.

In Alcaraz's case, the Spaniard missed the Canada Open and the Shanghai Masters; therefore, cutting his bonus payments in half by $3 million. Thus, Alcaraz's official season earnings are $18.8 million.

Carlos Alcaraz moves on from longtime coach Juan Carlos Ferrero

Last week, Carlos Alcaraz announced that he is parting ways with longtime head coach Juan Carlos Ferrero after over seven years. During his tenure as head coach of Alcaraz since he was just 15, the Spanish star won six Grand Slam titles and 24 ATP Tour singles titles.

Alcaraz said he was grateful to learn under Ferrero, acknowledging his contribution to his professional development and where he is today. Ferrero, meanwhile, appreciated the company of Alcaraz over the years but expressed that he would have liked to remain his head coach.

Several reasons are floating on the internet regarding the split. According to some outlets, Ferrero found the terms of the new contract unacceptable as it had tighter deadlines. The two parties couldn't find a middle ground on his next contract before the split was announced, leaving the tennis world in shock.

Alcaraz has already started his preparations for the upcoming 2026 campaign. He would aim to win the 2026 Australian Open and earn the honor of becoming the youngest player in tennis history to complete a career Grand Slam.

Edited by Krutik Jain