Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner arrive at the US Open final with more than a title at stake. Beyond the Grand Slam crown, the winner will vault past the $50m career prize-money mark and become only the sixth player in history to do so.

Prize money on the ATP Tour has climbed rapidly in recent years, and the US Open has led the increases this season. The tournament has boosted payouts across the board: the men’s and women’s singles runner-up prizes rose by 39% and beaten finalists are scheduled to receive $2.5m. The champion’s cheque of roughly $5m will push either Alcaraz or Sinner over the $50m threshold.

That potential milestone comes as the two highest-ranked players on the men’s side continue a dominant run. Between them they have claimed the last seven Grand Slam singles titles. The current leaders on the all-time prize-money list remain Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, with Andy Murray in fourth, but Alcaraz and Sinner are closing in fast.

Alcaraz has been candid about his priorities. “I love playing tennis. You know, most of the time I don’t think about the money,” said Alcaraz.

“I just play for love or for fun. But you have to be realistic. You have to think that you want to earn money, you know, and that’s it.

“The money in Saudi Arabia is the most, highest prize money ever in history, so that was a good motivation, at least for me.”

Off-court, Alcaraz’s earnings are supplemented by a string of long-standing sponsors including Nike, Rolex, BMW, Babolat, Calvin Klein, Evian and Louis Vuitton. Sinner also benefits from lucrative agreements with Nike, Gucci, Rolex, Lavazza and Head. The draft notes that Sinner served a three-month ban earlier this year after a positive drug test; his commercial deals were not affected.

Whoever lifts the trophy in New York will move up the historical earnings rankings and underline how rapidly prize-money benchmarks are changing in men’s tennis.

All-time prize money winners

1. Novak Djokovic, $188,934,053

2. Rafael Nadal $134,946,100

3. Roger Federer $130,594

4. Andy Murray $64,687,542

5. Alexander Zverev $54,455,659

6. Carlos Alcaraz $48,486,628

7. Daniil Medvedev $46,936,309

8. Jannik Sinner $46,279,987

9. Pete Sampras $43,280,489

10. Stan Wawrinka $37,634,708

The US Open final brings the matchup many expected before the tournament began: Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz meeting for Grand Slam honours. It is the third consecutive major final between the two this season and the first time in the Open Era that the same pair have contested three major finals in a single season. The winner will extend an eight-event stretch in which every Grand Slam has been won by either Sinner or Alcaraz, leaving them three tournaments short of the Federer-Nadal duopoly record.

Beyond the title, the match is a straight shootout for the world No 1 ranking. Sinner, the defending champion, bids to become the first man since Roger Federer in 2008 to defend the US Open. Alcaraz aims to reclaim the trophy he first won in 2022.

Twelve months earlier their US Open fortunes were sharply different. Defying the then-emerging controversy of his failed drug tests from earlier in 2024, world No 1 Sinner stormed to his second major title and his first US Open, collecting 2,000 ranking points. Alcaraz, fresh from winning Wimbledon and the French Open that summer, was stunned in the second round by Botic van de Zandschulp and earned 50 points.

Alcaraz closed the gap on Sinner’s lead at the ATP 1000 event this summer, lifting the title after the Italian retired with illness in the final. That result moved Alcaraz to within 2,000 points of Sinner heading into the US Open and gave him a clear path back to No 1.

Accounting for points to defend from 2024, Alcaraz’s official total of 9,590 fell only to 9,550 once round-one points were guaranteed, while Sinner’s official 11,480 dropped to a live total of 9,490 after removing 1,990. A Sinner victory would leave him on 11,480 with Alcaraz on 10,840. An Alcaraz win would flip the positions: Alcaraz to 11,540 and Sinner to 10,780.

Sinner first reached No 1 in June 2024, replacing Novak Djokovic, and has not relinquished the spot since, accumulating 65 weeks at the top. Alcaraz has spent 36 weeks as world No 1, across four separate spells, and has not held the ranking since September 2023.

Aryna Sabalenka retained the US Open title with a straight-sets victory over Amanda Anisimova, a win that carried both a record prize and the weight of earlier near-misses. Sabalenka collected a record-breaking $5m as champion, while Anisimova earned $2.5m after suffering a second successive Grand Slam final defeat following her Wimbledon loss in July.

The final finished 6-3, 7-6 and featured frequent swings of momentum. Sabalenka had fallen short at the Australian Open and French Open finals earlier in the season and had been beaten by Anisimova in the Wimbledon semi-finals, but she converted those near misses into a successful title defence in New York.

Eighteen-time Grand Slam singles champion Martina Navratilova highlighted two defining qualities on display. “For a match that was 6-3, 7-6, there were a lot of momentum changes within the match,” said Navratilova. “Aryna Sabalenka showed just what a champion she is, because she had a lot of pressure on her – she lost finals at the Australian Open and French Open. “Amanda Anisimova has got to keep her head up high. She held her own here today and is now in the conversation at all of the majors. “Sabalenka just had a little bit more firepower and composure. Feeling the pressure, she did not falter. She held her nerve brilliantly in the tiebreaker.”

Former British No 1 Laura Robson, observing courtside, underlined Sabalenka’s ability to regroup after being broken when serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set. “Sitting courtside, it was so fun for me to see Sabalenka regroup when things could have taken a turn in the second set,” said Robson. “She played a blinder of a tiebreak, gave nothing away. “Everything that has happened this year – especially the Roland Garros final, where she mentally let herself down in that match [against Coco Gauff] – it has been something that everyone has reminded her of since then. “Under pressure today, everything on the line, and with the crowd against you, she barely put a foot wrong in that breaker. “That’s the mentality we’ve come to know from Sabalenka, and we saw it in the semi-final as well.”

Robson also voiced sympathy for Anisimova after the loss. “It’s so tough when you see someone breaking down at the same time as someone celebrating,” added Robson. “I’m just in front of Anisimova’s box right now, and they just look so disappointed for her. “They’re trying to get her attention and give her some support but there’s a lot of dejected looks on their faces. “You thought the tide was maybe turning in that second set, Anisimova had more chances as the match went on – which considering how things were going half an hour in, we didn’t expect. “Anisimova has to give herself so much credit for getting stuck in and trying everything.”