A career in professional tennis has reaped incredible financial rewards for many over the years, and particularly those near the top of the rankings.
Since his debut in 2003, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic has earned a total of $188,934,053 in singles and doubles prize money on the ATP Tour.
Young stars such as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have already amassed tens of millions of dollars early on in their careers.
However, life on the tour isn’t anywhere near as profitable for others, such as Indian star Sumit Nagal, ranked 307th, who recently spoke candidly about his own situation.
Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty ImagesSumit Nagal speaks about his financial situation on the ATP Tour
When asked in an interview with ‘Talking Tennis’ if he had made a profit in the ten years he has been playing professionally, Nagal said: “No. Maybe I would say a maximum of two years.
“I would say maybe 2019, 2024, and 2020 because of COVID, I was not playing for six months.
Nagal’s ATP Tour prize money:
2025: $197,177Career: $1,612,130
“I think people outside tennis don’t understand how expensive it is. We have such high expenses because you’re paying for everything with your team.
“There are a lot of other sports where management pays, or the club pays. It doesn’t really work [like that] in tennis.”
Sumit Nagal’s career record on the ATP Tour
Though Nagal has played largely at Challenger events recently, he has been able to compete at tour-level tournaments throughout his journey in tennis.
He has an ATP record of 15 wins and 38 losses, and despite being currently ranked outside the top 300, he reached a career high of 68 in the world.
At Grand Slam events, Nagal’s best result is a second-round finish, which he recorded at the US Open in 2020 and the Australian Open in 2024.
The 27-year-old has made 10 finals on the Challenger Tour, picking up six titles.