How much does a padel champion earn compared with a tennis champion? The answer remains striking: according to figures reported for the Italy Major, Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia earned €47,250 each, while Alexander Zverev received €2.8m for winning Roland-Garros 2026, a figure confirmed by the ATP.
The comparison is harsh, but it says a lot about where professional padel stands. The sport attracts crowds, expands globally and fills arenas. Economically, it is still far from tennis.
A gap that stands out
A Premier Padel Major title represents €94,500 for the winning pair. That is significant money in today’s padel economy, but it is nowhere near Roland-Garros.
Zverev’s win in Paris, against Flavio Cobolli, earned him €2.8m. The gap does not mean padel is not progressing. It shows how much further the sport has to go in direct monetisation.
Padel has other income streams
Top players do not live on prize money alone. Sponsorship, racket contracts, exhibitions, academies and personal image rights are increasingly important. Coello and Tapia already represent a star economy that barely existed in padel a decade ago.
Even so, prize money remains a clear maturity marker. Tennis has a global, long-established model; padel is still building its own through Premier Padel, the FIP, new markets and a wider audience battle.
A huge growth margin
The comparison with Zverev may sting, but it can also be read as a projection. If audiences, media rights and partnerships keep growing, prize money should follow.
Coello and Tapia are already global sporting references. The next challenge is economic: making the circuit reward its champions in line with the expansion it claims.
