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.

Marketa Vondrousova publicly rejected comments by coach and commentator Brad Gilbert after she was forced to withdraw from the US Open with a knee injury. The 2023 Wimbledon champion has struggled through an injury-disrupted 2025 season because of a long-standing shoulder problem, but produced a memorable run in New York before her tournament ended.

Unseeded at the US Open after slipping to No 60 in the WTA Rankings, Vondrousova defeated 32nd seed Mccartney Kessler, seventh seed Jasmine Paolini and ninth seed Elena Rybakina, losing only one set across her first four matches to reach the quarter-finals. Hours before her last-eight meeting with world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka she sustained a knee injury and was forced to withdraw.

Sabalenka was informed just minutes before their scheduled match as she was making her way onto Arthur Ashe Stadium. Defending champion Sabalenka was supportive of her rival as she posted on Instagram: “So sorry for Marketa after all she’s been through. She has been playing amazing tennis and I know how badly this must hurt for her. Take care of yourself and I hope you can recover quickly. Love Aryna.

Gilbert, who has coached Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Coco Gauff, initially offered sympathy on X: “Such a bummer for Vondrousova who has battled so many injuries in her career, was back playing very good ball again, hopefully not a serious injury.” His tone shifted, however, on Andy Roddick’s Served podcast when he criticised players who withdraw then compete the following week: “I do get totally annoyed now about players pulling a rip cord in the middle of a match and then they play next week,” he said. “It is a really weird thing that a guy is pulling a rip cord in the third or fourth round and then literally it wasn’t that bad that you could play next week, or you are playing the doubles the next day.

“There should be a rule against that if you pull out of a match, you can’t play next week.”

Vondrousova, who is not scheduled to play on the WTA Tour this coming week, responded via a reshare on her Instagram Story: “Let’s give athletes hell for being injured, I’m disgusted with Brad too.” The Czech is projected to rise 24 places to No 36 in the WTA Rankings after her run and is on the entry list for the WTA 1000 China Open, but has not confirmed when she will return to competition.