Carlos Alcaraz surprises Novak Djokovic and disrupts a historic ATP record

Carlos Alcaraz experienced a 2025 season full of both sporting and financial triumphs, but an unexpected turn in the ATP strict policies left him behind Novak Djokovic in the race for the all-time prize money record.

Despite leading the earnings list with over $21 million, penalties for missing key tournaments hindered his attempt to break a historic record.

The ATP policy that changed the game

Carlos Alcaraz earned $21,354,778 in prize money during the season, standing out among the top male players on the circuit. However, the ATP bonus rule for Masters 1000 and ATP 500 tournaments imposes a 25% reduction for each event a player misses, even due to injury.

Alcaraz missed the Canadian Open and the Shanghai Masters, costing him roughly $3 million in bonuses and reducing his official earnings to $18.8 million.

This policy, designed to reward consistency, surprised many, as Carlos Alcaraz had dominated the tournaments he did play, showing an outstanding level of performance.

Missing these two strategic events allowed Lorenzo Musetti, who participated in all Masters 1000 events, to claim much of the bonus money that Alcaraz would have earned.

ATP published the final 2025 prize money list, with bonus $ added.
Alcaraz fell just short of Djokovic’s record from 2015 ($21.6M, not adjusted for inflation) due to his M1000 bonus reduced by $3M.

In total, $8.7M out of $24M in bonus pools went back to the tournaments. pic.twitter.com/MGEzSeQ7Mh

— Oleg S. (@AnnaK_4ever) December 22, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz and the battle for the top spot

Although Carlos Alcaraz excelled in total earnings, Novak Djokovic fell to ninth place in prize money for 2025 due to similar absences and the lack of bonus eligibility.

Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner came close financially without receiving any ATP bonuses, thanks to strong results in the Grand Slams and ATP Finals.

Alcaraz situation highlights the complexity of the circuit and how external factors, such as bonus policies, can affect perceptions of financial success.

With total earnings placing him among the top financial leaders in tennis and a new season ahead, Carlos Alcaraz maintains his status as one of the sport’s most influential figures.

With the next season around the corner, the competition between Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner, and other young talents promises to define not only the sporting rankings but also financial supremacy on the tour.

While Djokovic aims to regain ground, Alcaraz knows that every decision regarding his schedule and tournament participation will be crucial to achieving new historic milestones.