Sinner First, Serena Third: The World's Highest-Paid Tennis Players

Ahead of the US Open opening tomorrow, Forbes magazine published its ranking of the world's highest-earning tennis players for 2026, marking a change at the top. Jannik Sinner has unseated Carlos Alcaraz from the first spot, while the return of Serena Williams has led to a historic milestone: for the first time, there are more women than men in the top ten.

According to Forbes' estimates, Sinner earned $58 million over the last 12 months, ahead of Alcaraz with $53.7 million. The Spaniard leads in off-court earnings with about $38 million compared to the Italian's $35 million, but Sinner turned the tide thanks to the $23 million he earned on the court—the highest amount in this category in the history of the magazine's annual ranking.

However, the one who stole the show is Serena Williams. The 44-year-old American, who returned this year after nearly four years away from the tour, ranks third with earnings of $40.1 million. Almost the entire amount came from sponsorships and business ventures, while her on-court earnings this year totaled $131,932.

Williams will not play in the singles draw at the US Open but will participate in women's doubles alongside her sister Venus, having already played in the mixed doubles with Alcaraz earlier this week.

Following her in the rankings are Aryna Sabalenka with $36.1 million and Coco Gauff with $35.5 million. In total, six women and four men entered the top ten—the first time in the history of the Forbes ranking that women constitute a majority. The ten highest earners collectively brought in about $333 million, a 17% increase compared to $285 million last year.

Alexander Zverev, who won the French Open for the first time this year, also returned to the top ten for the first time since 2019. The German is ranked ninth with estimated earnings of $18.7 million. The entry threshold for the top ten reached a record $17.4 million this year, up from $14.3 million in the 2025 ranking.