Novak Djokovic has once again sparked an important conversation in tennis by addressing the issue of prize money distribution, following Nick Kyrgios’ recent criticisms of the sport’s financial structure. The Serbian, who co-founded the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) in 2020, emphasized the need for a fairer distribution of revenue across all levels of the sport.

Djokovic’s comments came after Kyrgios described the revenue share in tennis as “a joke” during the Brisbane International, where the two partnered in doubles.

The Reason Behind Djokovic’s Stance

Following his second-round victory over Gael Monfils at the Brisbane International, Djokovic was asked about Kyrgios’ remarks and whether players are adequately compensated. The Serb highlighted a concerning disparity in tennis earnings, pointing out that only around 400 players globally can make a sustainable living from the sport.

“We talk so much about how much money the US Open winners make, but we are not talking about how many players, both men and women, singles, doubles, all together, professionals live from this sport,” Djokovic said.

He compared tennis with major American sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL, where revenue distribution often reaches around 50% for players.

“The pie split between the governing bodies in major sports is way lower in tennis,” he noted, citing the fragmentation of tennis governance as a significant obstacle.

With separate entities governing the Grand Slams, ATP, and WTA, aligning on a standard revenue-sharing model has proven difficult.

Djokovic also pointed out systemic issues within the ATP structure.

“Players don’t really make decisions on the major topics,” he explained. The system often creates conflicts of interest between players and tournaments, where players advocate for increased prize money while tournaments resist those demands.”

This ongoing imbalance, he argued, was one of the key reasons behind the creation of the PTPA, which aims to better represent player interests.

Djokovic’s insights come amid rising prize money figures at exhibition events like the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, where six of the world’s top players—Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Holger Rune—competed.

Each player at the Six Kings Slam reportedly earned $1.5 million for participating, with the champion taking home a staggering $6 million. For perspective, Sinner’s Riyadh victory nearly doubled his winnings from his two Grand Slam titles in 2024, underscoring the financial disparity between marquee events and regular ATP tournaments.

Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – USA TODAY Sports