Carlos Alcaraz earned a record amount at the Australian Open, but the tax authorities take almost half

Carlos Alcaraz was crowned Australian Open champion on Sunday after defeating Novak Djokovic in the final and thus winning his first title in Melbourne, a victory that allowed him to complete the Career Grand Slam, being the youngest tennis player in history to do so. Beyond the sporting impact, the triumph also had a strong economic and tax impact for the Spanish tennis player.

The 2026 edition of the Australian Open distributed a total purse of 111.5 million Australian dollars, an amount higher than in previous years. As champion, Alcaraz took the tournament's top prize: 4,150,000 Australian dollars gross, which at the current exchange rate is equivalent to approximately 2.44 million euros.

Because he has his tax residence in Spain, the tennis player is required to report in the Personal Income Tax (IRPF) the prizes obtained abroad. In the case of sports income, this income is included in the tax base and is taxed according to a progressive system whose maximum marginal rate is around 45%, with slight variations depending on the autonomous community. In the Region of Murcia, where Alcaraz resides, that percentage is close to that ceiling.

With these parameters, the estimated tax burden on the prize obtained in Melbourne would be around 1.1 million euros. This way, out of the 2.44 million gross, the net gain for the player would be close to 1.34 million euros once he fulfills his tax obligations.

The title in Australia not only represents a new milestone in Alcaraz's career and consolidates him among the greats of world tennis, but it also reflects the strong economic impact that Grand Slam tournaments have, where sporting glory is accompanied by multimillion-euro figures that, unfortunately, are affected by the interference of the state.