Padel is the fastest growing sport in the world, but do the top players earn millions from it? Compared to tennis and football, the income of padel players still seems modest, but the growth of the sport and the prize money in tournaments is increasing rapidly. In this blog on Justpadel.com we dive into the figures and see if padel players can really become millionaires.
How much do professional padel players earn?
To understand the income of the best padel players, we must look at two main sources of income :
- Prize Money – This is the amount of money players earn from their performance in tournaments.
- Sponsorship deals and events – Approximately 70% of a player's total income comes from sponsorships, clinics and promotional activities.
In 2024, the Premier Padel Tour was the only major professional padel tour, making prize money earnings more comparable. The highest earning players, Agustín Tapia and Arturo Coello , each earned €475,375 purely from prize money.
Prize Money: How much does a tournament pay out?
The amount of prize money varies per tournament. The largest amounts are earned at the Premier Padel Majors , such as those in Qatar, Paris and Mexico , where winners receive €47,500 per player. The runners-up receive less, but still a significant amount.
For comparison, a player like Pablo Cardona, who will be in the top 16 in 2024, earned €76,235 in prize money. This is already a nice amount, but not nearly enough to become a millionaire without additional sponsorship contracts.
Top 10 earners in padel in 2024
According to available figures, the best performing padel players earned the following in prize money in 2024:
| Position | Player(s) | Prize money 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agustín Tapia & Arturo Coello | €475,375 |
| 2 | Ale Galan | €299,438 |
| 3 | Fede Chingotto | €271,626 |
| 4 | Martin Di Nenno | €169,907 |
| 5 | Franco Stupaczuk | €169,408 |
| 6 | Juan Lebron | €175,782 |
| 7 | Mike Yanguas | €152,660 |
| 8 | Javi Garrido | €107,691 |
| 9 | Momo Gonzalez | €108,409 |
| 10 | Paquito Navarro | €106,908 |
This prize money excludes taxes, travel expenses, coaching and physiotherapy. After deducting expenses, there is less left than many people think.
Can padel players become millionaires?
The absolute top of the padel world probably earns more than €1 million per year with sponsorship. Although prize money is currently still under a million euros, top stars can cash in big with sponsorship deals, social media and their own product lines .
A few reasons why padel players can earn millions in the future:
- Growth of Premier Padel: The sport is attracting more and more major sponsors.
- Comparison with tennis: Padel follows the growth path of tennis, where players like Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz earn tens of millions per year.
- More international media attention: Major brands are increasingly seeing potential in padel, leading to higher sponsorship contracts.
Conclusion:
Even the best padel players can’t buy a Lamborghini based on prize money alone. But if you factor in sponsorship deals and extra income, some players are definitely millionaires. The future of padel looks bright, and it’s only a matter of time before the first padel players earn millions a year!
What do you think? Will padel players ever earn as much as top tennis players?
