How Does a Professional Tennis Player Make Money?

Tournament Money

A professional tennis player can make money in a variety of ways, but the best players in the world receive a large portion of income from their performance in tournament events. Each event on the tennis tour has a structure for prize money, which is determined prior to the beginning of play by the event organizers. A tennis player's performance in the tournament determines the amount of prize money she receives. The overall winner of the event will make the most money, with the rest of the prize money being distributed among other top finishers.

Sponsorships

The top professional tennis players in the world often attract lucrative sponsorships from companies, which provide the athletes with another level of supplemental income. A sportswear company like Nike or a tennis racket company like Wilson will usually choose a small number of male and female tennis players and offer them corporate sponsorships. In exchange for wearing the company's products on the tennis court, players receive regular payments from the company according to the sponsor's contractual agreement.

Endorsements

Separate from full sponsorships, professional tennis players also receive income from individual endorsements of products. An athlete might endorse a specific piece of tennis equipment or an unrelated product, like a digital camera. Professional tennis players will typically appear in commercial and print advertisements for the products that they endorse. In exchange for the advertising, athletes will receive either regular or one-time payments from the company whose products they endorse.