Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek and other tennis stars are competing to win medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but how much will they earn for claiming a gold?
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not award prize money to any athletes competing at the Games, while the International Tennis Federation (ITF) — the body that organises the Olympic tennis event — also offers no financial reward to players.
In April, World Athletics announced it would be the first sport to offer prize money to medallists in Olympic Games history at Paris 2024.
Earlier this year, tennis legend Martina Navratilova called for athletes competing in all sports at the Olympics to be paid.
“The Olympics have always been the biggest sports event and the athletes were the only ones not making money,” the former world No 1 said at the Laureus World Sports Awards.
“Everybody was making money but the athletes. So I’m glad that’s changing because for some countries that’s a massive amount of money.
“For some of them it’s a drop in the bucket, but for some of them it’s a step in the right direction. Why shouldn’t they make money? Being a top athlete now is a full-time job. The days of amateurs have gone.”
Despite this, many national Olympic committees or governments do offer financial rewards to athletes from their countries who win medals.
Here are some of the reported sums received by medallists in individual sports by nations with players competing in the tennis events in Paris.
Olympics Tennis Prize Money
Serbia – $218,000 for gold
Italy – $196,000 for gold; $98,000 for silver; $65,000 for bronze
Ukraine – $125,000 for gold
Czech Republic – $103,000 for gold
Spain – $102,000 for gold, $52,000 for silver, $33,000 for bronze
France – $87,000 for gold; $43,000 for silver; $22,000 for bronze
Poland – $82,000 for gold
United States – $37,500 for gold; $22,500 for silver; $15,000 for bronze
Japan – $32,000 for gold; $13,000 for silver; $6,000 for bronze
Germany – $22,000 for gold; $16,000 for silver; $11,000 for bronze
Australia – $13,000 for gold; $10,000 for silver; $7,000 for bronze
Djokovic is competing at his fifth Olympics at Paris 2024 and he will earn $218,000 if he wins a gold medal for the first time. In addition, Serbian medallists are eligible for a national pension, which starts at age 40 and is paid monthly.
Spanish athletes in individual sports receive $102,000 for winning a gold medal, $52,000 for a silver, and $33,000 for a bronze.
Alcaraz, who is making his Olympic debut in Paris, is chasing medals in both singles and doubles — in which he is partnering legendary compatriot Rafael Nadal.
Women’s world No 1 Swiatek could earn around $82,000 for winning a maiden gold medal in Paris, as well as a host of other prizes.
According to Forbes, every Polish medallist will be given a painting from a Polish artist, an investment-grade diamond and a vacation voucher for two, while individual sport gold medallists will receive a two-bedroom apartment in the Warsaw metropolitan area.
Great Britain, Norway and Sweden are some of the countries that do not offer a direct cash payout to their athletes for finishing on the podium.
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