Prize money distribution in professional padel: a detailed breakdown
The channel the4Set offers a comprehensive analysis of how much money top padel players earned in 2023, focusing on both World Padel Tour (WPT) and Premier Padel (PP) circuits. The review highlights the growing financial rewards in the sport, while also emphasizing that the figures discussed are gross earnings—before taxes, coaching, travel, and other expenses are deducted.
It’s important to note that these numbers only reflect tournament prize money. Sponsorships and off-court activities, which often make up a significant portion of a player’s income, are not included in this analysis.
World Padel Tour prize money: top earners and key figures
The 2023 WPT season saw a wide range of earnings among professional players. The4Set meticulously compiled official data, ranking the top performers by their prize money winnings. Here are some of the notable positions:
- 17th: Fernando Belasteguín – €31,330
- 16th: Coki Nieto – €35,253
- 15th: Mike Yanguas – €41,570
- 14th: Javi Garrido – €43,729
- 13th: Sanyo Gutiérrez – €47,600
- 12th: Gato Tello – €47,600
- 11th: Alex Ruiz – €50,250
- 10th: Jon Sanz – €53,500
As the list moves into the top 10, the earnings increase significantly. Notably, Paquito Navarro earned €55,600, with his biggest single prize coming from the WPT Master Final (MF), which awarded €18,700 to the winner. The top four positions were dominated by the sport’s leading pairs:
- 3rd/4th (tied): Franco Stupaczuk & Martin Di Nenno – €129,700 each
- 1st/2nd (tied): Arturo Coello & Agustín Tapia – €147,900 each
Winning a WPT Master event typically brought in €12,000, while the Master Final was the most lucrative single tournament on the circuit.
Premier Padel circuit: higher prizes and fewer events
The Premier Padel (PP) tour, while featuring fewer tournaments in 2023, offered significantly higher prize money per event. For example, a PP Major victory netted €47,250, and a PP P1 win was worth €25,000.
Here are some of the key PP earnings for 2023:
- 18th: Javi Garrido – €20,800
- 17th: Gato Tello – €29,000
- 16th: Jon Sanz – €32,380
- 14th/13th (tied): Mike Yanguas & Coki Nieto – €35,650 each
- 12th: Momo González – €36,330
- 11th: Alex Ruiz – €36,900
In the top 10, the numbers become even more impressive:
- 10th: Sanyo Gutiérrez – €44,170
- 9th: Fernando Belasteguín – €54,000
- 8th/7th (tied): Juan Lebrón & Ale Galán – €64,400 each
- 6th: Paquito Navarro – €76,000
- 5th: Fede Chingotto – €79,200
- 3rd/4th (tied): Franco Stupaczuk & Martin Di Nenno – €92,400 each
- 1st/2nd (tied): Arturo Coello & Agustín Tapia – €164,500 each
Despite playing only six PP tournaments, Coello and Tapia managed to surpass their WPT earnings, underlining the financial impact of the new circuit.
Total 2023 earnings: the highest-paid padel players
Combining both WPT and PP prize money, the4Set presents the definitive ranking of the top-earning padel players in 2023:
- 10th: Sanyo Gutiérrez – €91,400
- 9th: Momo González – €94,600
- 8th: Paquito Navarro – €131,500
- 7th: Juan Lebrón – €136,800
- 6th: Fede Chingotto – €142,600
- 5th: Ale Galán – €154,000
- 3rd/4th (tied): Franco Stupaczuk & Martin Di Nenno – €222,120 each
- 1st/2nd (tied): Arturo Coello & Agustín Tapia – €312,380 each
This ranking clearly demonstrates the dominance of Coello and Tapia, who each earned over €312,000 in gross prize money during the season. Stupaczuk and Di Nenno also crossed the €220,000 mark, reflecting their consistent high-level performances.
Key takeaways and qualitative insights from the4Set analysis
- Prize money is rising: Both WPT and PP circuits have increased their payouts, with Premier Padel offering especially high rewards for top finishes.
- Gross earnings can be misleading: Players must deduct taxes, coaching, travel, and other professional expenses, which can significantly reduce their net income.
- Sponsorships matter: The figures discussed do not include sponsorship deals, which often make up the majority of a top player’s total income.
- Consistency is rewarded: Players like Stupaczuk and Di Nenno, who rarely lost before the semifinals, accumulated impressive totals through regular deep runs.
- Injuries impact earnings: Juan Lebrón, for example, saw his income drop by more than half compared to the previous year due to injuries.
- Professionalization is increasing: Higher prize money allows players to invest more in training, coaching, and support staff, raising the overall level of the sport.
The4Set concludes that, while the financial landscape of padel is improving rapidly, there is still a significant gap between gross prize money and what players actually take home. Nonetheless, the upward trend in earnings is a positive sign for the sport’s future and its professional athletes.
