Alcaraz’s withdrawal from the Shanghai Masters costs him a huge loss of one million dollars, but exhibition matches help him recover easily.

“Eight titles, ten finals… this shows how much effort I have put in to experience these moments and achieve my goals,” Alcaraz said with feeling. At his first appearance at the Japan Open, the 22-year-old Spaniard lifted his 24th ATP trophy, just under a month after his US Open victory. However, bad news followed: he had to make a significant sacrifice by withdrawing from the second-to-last Masters event of the year.

After winning the Japan Open, Alcaraz earned prize money of $416,365. Nevertheless, this amount may not cover the financial setback caused by missing the Shanghai Masters. Right after his Tokyo triumph, the world No.1 confirmed he would skip the Shanghai Masters due to an ankle injury sustained at the start of the Japan Open.

By opting out of this ATP1000 event, Alcaraz finds himself in a difficult situation. According to tennis insider Jose Moron, this decision will impact his year-end bonus pool and could cost him up to one million dollars.

The ATP awards substantial bonuses to players who accumulate the most points across all Masters events and the year-end finals. This season, $21 million will be distributed among the top 30 point earners. Alcaraz was expected to earn up to $4.5 million by the end of 2025, but that is no longer feasible.

According to the rules, missing one Masters event results in losing 25% of that event’s bonus. Therefore, skipping the Shanghai Masters will reduce Alcaraz’s potential $4.5 million bonus by $1.125 million.

Despite this setback, the positive side is that Alcaraz still leads the total prize money rankings for the 2025 season, with his rival Sinner in second place earning over $12 million. While the gap remains significant, the Italian could gradually close it as the season progresses.

Because Alcaraz missed the Shanghai Masters, Sinner has the chance to increase his total earnings this season. If he successfully defends his title, he will earn $1,124,380, pushing his season prize money beyond $13 million. However, Alcaraz still has opportunities to offset the loss from skipping Shanghai, notably through streaming platform Netflix.

Netflix’s upcoming “Six Kings Showdown” is scheduled for this month. What’s interesting for Alcaraz is the prize structure of this event.

According to the format, the 22-year-old player will receive a $1.5 million appearance fee regardless of his results. This allows him to easily recover the amount lost from missing the Shanghai Masters. Additionally, if he wins the Six Kings Showdown, he can earn a further $4.5 million. Last season, Alcaraz lost to Sinner in the final and missed the chance. This time, he will not only seek revenge but also aim for the attractive prize money. The event will start on October 15 and conclude on October 18. It should be noted that as an exhibition tournament, the prize money won’t count towards ATP statistics. However, this is irrelevant because the amount far exceeds what can be earned by continuous play in the ATP season.

Alcaraz is actively recovering to be ready in time for the Six Kings Showdown. Afterwards, he plans to build momentum at the Paris Masters, especially ahead of the ATP Finals in November.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Huohua)