World number six Novak Djokovic missed out on millions of dollars in prize money by skipping the ATP Finals this week but is perfectly comfortable with that.
Djokovic announced his withdrawal from the ATP Finals before the draw, which cost him a potential $1 million bonus if he played all three group stage matches. Even if he lost his first match and withdrew, Nole would still pocket $165,000, not to mention the endorsement deals from appearing at the big event in Turin.
Each player who reaches the ATP Finals will receive a minimum of $331,000. They will receive an additional $396,500 for each group stage win. The two semifinalists will receive $1.12 million, and one of them will receive an additional $2.24 million for winning the title. In total, the winner in Turin could earn more than $4 million.
Djokovic previously pocketed at least $2.5 million from the Six Kings Slam exhibition tournament in Saudi Arabia. But he denied that he was playing for money, saying that it was not his inspiration. Nole said: “Believe it or not, I never thought that prize money was a motivation for playing tennis. Money certainly helps me have a good standard of living, but that’s it. It has never been and will never be a driving force for me in my life and career.”
Djokovic has earned more than $185 million in prize money over his nearly 20-year career, an all-time record on the ATP Tour. According to Marca, Djokovic’s total assets by 2024 will be no less than $250 million. The Serbian tennis player has many large promotional contracts but has little business investment. He only bought a few houses for rest and practice, in Belgrade, Monte Carlo, Miami and Marbella. Nole also invested in the Eqvita restaurant brand, specializing in healthy food.
Compared to his two contemporaries Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Djokovic has few major business ventures. Federer currently owns a multi-billion dollar listed sports shoe company, Nadal has a series of real estate and develops a chain of tennis training academies in many countries.
Like Federer and Nadal, Djokovic has his own charity. The 24-time Grand Slam champion has donated millions of dollars to support children’s education, mainly in Serbia. He has also used his influence to force the ATP Tour to redistribute tournament prize money in a way that benefits lower-ranked players.
Djokovic ended the 2024 season without an ATP title. But he did manage to secure the only glory missing: Olympic men’s singles gold. Djokovic could be at the Davis Cup event in Malaga next week to witness Nadal’s retirement ceremony. He will then spend the rest of the season in Marbella, training for the 2025 Australian Open.