Shohei Ohtani is in the news for his huge contract. While Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz appear at the top of the annual tennis earnings lists, Japanese baseball sensation Ohtani signed an unprecedented $700 million contract with Major League Baseball franchise Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2023. The 10-year deal pushed the Japanese pitcher to the pinnacle of the list of highest-paid athletes in the world.

Ohtani’s contract is the largest ever in baseball history, exceeding Mike Trout’s 12-year $426 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Spanning a whole decade, the record deal is evenly broken up, with the Dodgers man earning $70 million annually.

Though Ohtani’s is the largest overall contract in sports history, several athletes still out-earn the former yearly. Here is a look at what the biggest tennis stars on the planet earn, including Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, and how they compare to Ohtani.

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic topped the list of the 10 highest-paid tennis players, collectively earned $246 million in the last 12 months

The cumulative total of $246 million is well off the all-time record of $343 million in 2020 when the now-retired pair of Roger Federer and Serena Williams brought in a whopping $142 million between them. However, the $246 million is a significant increase from 2023’s $196 million, representing a 26 percent increase.

Furthermore, the average age of this year’s top 10 earners has reduced to 26, with only Djokovic and 6th-ranked Rafael Nadal outside their 20s. The list also has four women in it, a reminder that tennis is one of the few sports in which male and female athletes are on comparable financial standings, though not always earning the same prize money from tournaments.

Since turning pro in 2003, Djokovic has gone on to win 24 Grand Slam titles and establish himself as the most successful male tennis player ever, capped with a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, which sealed his career Golden Slam.

However, for all his laurels, the Serb had never taken the top spot as the highest-paid tennis player in any given year until Roger Federer’s retirement in 2022. Djokovic finally ranked first on the earnings list in 2023 with a cumulative $38.4 million in on- and off-court earnings.

His stint at the top was brief as the 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, who has beaten Djokovic to the Wimbledon title for two years running, was crowned the tennis player with the highest earnings in 2024. Alcaraz made an estimated $42.3 million in prize money and sponsorships.

Djokovic, with total earnings of $37.2 million in 2024, did manage to beat Alcaraz in the 2024 Paris Olympics final, winning gold on his fifth attempt. Winning $12.2 million in prize money alone, the Serb still leads the pack in on-court winnings, but his rival seems to have the edge in off-court earnings with his high-profile brand deals, boasting partnerships with the likes of Nike, Rolex, BMW, and Louis Vuitton. Some brands pay the Spaniard figures around the $1 million mark as appearance fees.

Djokovic received a $218,000 bonus from the Serbian government for his Olympic gold. Having split with longtime agent Edoardo Artaldi last year, Djokovic continues to retain a high-profile portfolio comprising the likes of Asics, Head, Hublot, and Lacoste. He recently launched a line of “electrolyte hydration cubes” called Sila, along with his sponsor, Waterdrop.

Coco Gauff was the highest-paid female athlete, while Iga Swiatek amassed close to $12 million in prize money

The highest-ranked woman on the list, 2023 US Open winner Coco Gauff, ranks third among the best-paid tennis players in 2024. The American earned $27.1 million in the last 12 months, making her the highest-earning female tennis player. Over half of her income stems from outside the court.

Gauff has burst into the limelight in the last 12 months, winning the singles title at the 2023 US Open and the doubles title at the 2024 Roland Garros, making her an attractive proposition for companies and brands.

Her most notable deals include clothing brand American Eagle Outfitters, eyewear company Ray-Ban, athletic apparel makers New Balance, and audio equipment manufacturer Bose.

While Gauff notched the highest overall figures, four-time and 2024 Roland Garros winner Iga Swiatek remains the highest-earning female athlete on the court with $11.7 million in prize money, a figure bettered only by Novak Djokovic across all tennis players.