Carlos Alcaraz signs up to new event and accused of 'fattening his wallet'

Carlos Alcaraz's stellar results have delivered one bumper payday after another, and the tennis sensation is nowhere near finished yet. Alcaraz withdrew from the Shanghai Masters following a recent triumph in Tokyo, but has another enticing showdown looming - though it's rather different from the usual clashes he and the rest of tennis' elite are often accustomed to.

World No. 1 Alcaraz is preparing for an exhibition clash against Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca, with the pair scheduled to lock horns in the United States. Alcaraz and Fonseca are yet to cross paths on the ATP Tour, but will battle it out in Miami this December in what promises to be a lucrative spectacle.

Big-serving American star John Isner - who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals back in 2018 and retired from tennis in 2023 - expects the arrangement to prove financially rewarding for the Spaniard. "He is the face of tennis. There's no doubt about it. Fattening his wallet," Isner said in jest when discussing the exhibition match.

Alcaraz only celebrated his 22nd birthday in May, yet his bank account is already bursting at the seams. In August, Forbes released its ranking of the world's highest-earning tennis stars and the Spaniard topped the charts.

The compilation valued his income over the preceding 12 months at an estimated US$48.3million (equivalent to £35.8m today) - a $6m increase from the previous year and narrowly surpassing his fierce competitor Jannik Sinner. Approximately $35m (£26m) of Alcaraz's overall total stems from off-court ventures, compensating for the reality that Sinner pocketed more prize money from tournament victories.

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Despite the impressive figures, it's still a drop in the ocean compared to some stars of other sports. No tennis players make it into Forbes' top 50, with football, American football, basketball, baseball, boxing, golf and Formula 1 all represented.

According to official ATP figures, Alcaraz has pocketed just over $16m (£11.9m) on the court in 2025 so far. This sum is specific to ATP events and wouldn't include any payout for an exhibition match with Fonseca.

The lion's share of that comes from the US Open, where his victory over Sinner in the final resulted in a whopping $5m (£3.7m) payday. Other seven-figure paydays came at Roland Garros, another site of a grand slam final victory over Sinner, and at Wimbledon where he fell short against the Italian on centre court.

This year's earnings have boosted Alcaraz's lifetime singles and doubles earnings above the $50m mark. However, he passed up the opportunity to add to that at the Shanghai Masters, choosing instead to withdraw from the tournament.

"I'm very disappointed to announce that I won't be able to play the Rolex Shanghai Masters this year!" Alcaraz wrote on social media when his absence was confirmed. "Unfortunately, I’ve been struggling with some physical issues and, after discussing with my team, we believe the best decision is to rest and recover.

"I was really looking forward to playing in front of the amazing fans in Shanghai again. I hope to be back soon and see my Chinese fans next year!”