The French Open saw one of the greatest who has ever played assert his dominance, and the rise of an out-of-nowhere champion who could be on her way to greater heights.
Novak Djokovic won the men’s title, adding a 19th Grand Slam win to his storied career, placing him one behind contemporary legends Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Barbora Krejcikova, an unseeded player, was the surprise winner on the women’s side.
The $1.7 million each took home is a mere fraction of Djokovic’s world record $150 million in career earnings, but will grow Krejcikova’s career winnings by nearly 50% to $5.28 million.
- Krejcikova split an additional $289,235 with Katerina Siniakova for winning the doubles tournament.
- She’s just the seventh woman to win both titles in the same year.
Djokovic’s $30 million in endorsement payments during the 12 months ending May 1 helped him reach No. 46 on Forbes’ list of top-earning athletes. His sponsorships include Lacoste, ASICS, Head, Seiko, and Peugeot.
The diet-conscious superstar invested in vertical farming startup OnePointOne in 2019. In 2010, he started a vegan restaurant in Monte Carlo where he lives.
Krejcikova is endorsed by Head, which provides her racquet and apparel, but has no other major sponsorships. That, of course, is likely to change now that she has a Grand Slam title to her name.
Djokovic launched the Professional Tennis Players Association in 2020 with the goal of making it easier for unheralded players like Krejcikova to make money playing tennis, but the union has had a limited impact thus far.