Who are the most marketable personalities in tennis? New data has revealed that Novak Djokovic is the highest-earning player in this year’s Australian Open, earning up to £46,800 (R1.1-million) per sponsored Instagram post.
Research conducted by the multiplayer card game site, World of Card Games, examined the social media profiles of 60 of the most influential players competing in the men’s and women’s singles tournaments at the Australian Grand Slam.
An influencer marketing calculator was used to establish which star is the most influential on social media and how much they can potentially earn per sponsored post.
The data revealed that Djokovic is the highest-earning competitor in this year’s men’s singles draw, following Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal last week. The Serbian has proven to be a controversial figure throughout his professional career on the tour, but he is clearly still admired by many as he has a whopping 14.2 million Instagram followers. Djokovic is deemed by many to be the greatest male player of the Open Era.
The 2023 Wimbledon men’s singles champion, Carlos Alcaraz, is the second-highest earner of this year’s Australian Open. The 20-year-old Spaniard is the second player to beat Djokovic in a Wimbledon final and can earn up to £19,200 (R455,000) per sponsored post, owing to his huge 4.5 million Instagram follower count.
With 2.7 million followers and a potential earning of up to £13,100 (R310,000) per sponsored post is the third-highest earner and the first woman on the list: Naomi Osaka. The powerful server has become equally well known for her pursuits off the court, including Black Lives Matter activism, mental health advocacy, and collaborating with Nike to create her own fashion line.
The new mum and two-time Australian Open winner will be hoping to add a third win to her collection this year.
British tennis sensation Emma Raducanu is fourth, with the potential to earn up to £12,200 (R290,000) per post and a 2.4 million strong following. Raducanu is the first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since Virginia Wade at the 1977 Wimbledon Championships, when she won the 2021 US Open.
Since then, her tennis career hasn’t taken off in the way many would have expected, with a string of injuries jeopardising her chances of success.
Beloved British tennis veteran Andy Murray rounds out the top five, with the ability to earn up to £10,400 (R245,000) per sponsored post. The two-time Wimbledon men’s singles champion and father of four is now battling injuries to remain at the top level. Despite having undergone a hip resurfacing procedure, Murray continues to compete with the best in the world.
