Why Tennis Players Ranked Below 150 Are Underpaid

Tennis is often seen as a glamorous sport, with top players like Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic earning millions in prize money alone—$42.3Million and $37.2 Million respectively in 2024. But for players ranked below150 in the world, the reality is starkly different. Many struggle to breakeven, let alone make a living, despite tennis being one of the most popular sports globally. So why is tennis so underpaid for these lower-ranked players, and what systemic issues contribute to this financial disparity?

The Steep Earnings Drop-Off

The financial disparity in tennis is dramatic. While the100th-ranked male player, Liam Broady, earned $440,000 in 2023, players just outside the top 100 often earn far less. For instance, a player ranked 150th, like Yannick Hanfmann in 2017, earned only $144,674, and those ranked around300 might earn as little as $76,658 before expenses. By the time you reach the600th-ranked player, earnings can drop to a mere $14,670 annually. These figures don’t account for taxes or the significant costs of playing professionally, such as travel, coaching, and accommodation.

Unlike team sports like basketball or football, where even bench players can earn millions, tennis operates on a performance-based model.The 300th-best football player might earn millions sitting on the bench, while the 300th-ranked tennis player struggles to afford a taxi to their hotel. This stark contrast highlights a fundamental issue: tennis’s prize money distribution heavily favours the elite, leaving lower-ranked players scraping by.

High Costs, Low Returns. ‍

Professional tennis is an expensive career, especially for lower-ranked players. Travel, coaching, and training costs can easily exceed$34,500 annually, as seen with Kiranpal Pannu, who earned just $6,771 in prize money in 2022. Players on the ITF Futures and Challenger Tours—where most players ranked below 150 compete—face meagre prize pools. An ITF tournament might have a total purse of $15,000 to $25,000, with the winner taking home only about 15% of that, or $2,250 to $3,750. After taxes (often paid twice: to the tournament’s country and the player’s home country) and expenses, players often lose money on early-round exits.

Lower-ranked players also lack the sponsorship deals that top players rely on. While Roger Federer earned $90 million in endorsements in2022, players outside the top 100 rarely attract such lucrative deals due to their limited visibility and marketability. This leaves them dependent on prize money, which is insufficient at lower-tier tournaments that draw little fan interest and revenue.

Structural Issues in Tennis

Tennis’s financial structure exacerbates the problem.Tournaments, particularly Grand Slams, generate significant revenue—Wimbledon2011 reportedly earned £120 million—but players receive only 12–15% of this as prize money, far less than the 30–50% seen in sports like basketball or football. The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s TennisAssociation (WTA), which govern the sport, are often criticised for prioritising tournament interests over players. Vasek Pospisil, co-founder of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), argues that players are“stiffed” because they lack a true union, unlike other sports where collective bargaining ensures better revenue sharing.

The ATP has been called a “cartel of tournaments,” focusing on profits rather than player welfare. Lower-tier events like Futures andChallengers often run at a loss, making it difficult to increase prize money without subsidies. Meanwhile, top players, who drive viewership, take the lion’s share of earnings, leaving little for redistribution.

The Role of Lower-Ranked Players

Lower-ranked players are the backbone of tennis. Without them, the tours would “atrophy,” as Novak Djokovic noted when advocating for more support. These players compete in qualifying rounds, fill draws, and provide the depth needed for a competitive sport. Yet, they’re often overlooked. In 2019, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) surveyed 7,605players and found that only 5–6% earned enough prize money to cover expenses.This forces many, like former junior Wimbledon champion Noah Rubin, to retire early—Rubin quit at 26 after peaking at 125th in the world.

Lack of Support Systems

Unlike team sports, where clubs cover travel, medical, and coaching costs, tennis players are independent contractors responsible for their own expenses. Injuries compound the problem—players must pay for treatment out of pocket, with no income during recovery. The ATP and WTA offer health care, but costs for lower-ranked players can triple compared to top-tier members, leading many to forgo insurance or rely on parental support.

Recent initiatives show some progress. In 2024, the ATP introduced a minimum wage trial, guaranteeing $300,000 for the top 100,$150,000 for ranks 101–175, and $75,000 for ranks 176–250, with subsidies for those who don’t meet these thresholds through prize money. They also expanded injury protections, offering $200,000, $100,000, and $50,000 for the top 100,175th, and 250th players, respectively. However, these measures still leave players ranked below 250 vulnerable, and the PTPA’s 2025 lawsuit against tennis’s governing bodies highlights ongoing tensions over anti-competitive practices and player welfare. 

A Call for Change

The narrative that tennis’s income disparity is a “natural”outcome of competition—where the “cream rises to the top”—is flawed. While top players deserve their earnings, the sport’s structure unfairly burdens those lower down the rankings. Fans and players alike are calling for change. A Reddit poll identified underpaid lower-ranked players as tennis’s biggest issue, and posts on X reflect similar sentiments, with users advocating for better support for players ranked 100–300.

Solutions could include redistributing a small percentage ofGrand Slam and Masters 1000 profits to lower-tier events, as the ATP began doing in 2023 by sharing net profits from Masters 1000 events. Increasing prize money at Challenger and Futures tournaments, as some suggest, would also help.Moreover, a stronger players’ union, as proposed by the PTPA, could negotiate better revenue shares and protections, ensuring that tennis—a sport with over 1billion fans—supports all its professionals, not just the elite.

Conclusion

Tennis players ranked below 150 face a harsh financial reality: high costs, low prize money, and a structure that prioritises top earners. While recent reforms are a step forward, more must be done to ensure these players can sustain a career without constant financial strain. Tennis thrives on its depth, and it’s time the sport invests in the players who make that possible. What do you think—how can tennis better support its lower-ranked players? Let’s keep the conversation going!

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