Many tennis discussions in the fall focus on the short off-season and the physical and mental toll of nonstop tournaments throughout the year. In 2025, Taylor Fritz spoke loudly about it; last year, Carlos Alcaraz said the tour was “killing” the players. Fans sometimes find this odd since players are well-paid independent contractors who could easily rest if they wanted. Yet many don’t, likely because of the ATP OneVision Bonus Pool.

The OneVision Bonus Pool in 2025 is a $38.8 million prize that many fans do not even know exists. It is also something the ATP itself does not promote heavily. The WTA once had a similar system, but it no longer offers a bonus pool. The ATP structure is made up of three different components that reward players in different ways.

One part of the pool pays bonuses to the top 30 players based on results at the Masters 1000 events and the Nitto ATP Finals. Another part pays the top six players in ATP 500 tournaments. This is meant to encourage more top players to enter those events. The third part is based on profit-sharing and applies to all players who qualify.

Participation rules for the Masters 1000 events are strict. Players who qualify for direct acceptance must enter at least 8 of the 9 Masters 1000 tournaments. This rule is also tied directly to bonus pool eligibility. Missing events come with sharp penalties. 

If a player skips a Masters event due to injury or another approved reason, he can still receive 80% of his bonus. But “fatigue” is not considered a valid reason. If the absence is not approved, every missed tournament cuts the bonus by 25%.

This explains why someone like Jannik Sinner, who missed four Masters events this season, will lose his entire bonus pool payout. That payout would have been in the seven-figure range, similar to the prize money for winning a major singles title. 

The ATP 500 bonus pool works in a similar way but has its own rules. A player must compete in five ATP 500 events and must follow the tour’s swing commitments relating to surface and travel. 

The same 25% penalty applies for missed commitments. Once a player reaches a 50% penalty, he forfeits everything from that pool. Even small decisions throughout the season can therefore impact these payouts.

Final numbers for 2025 have not been published yet. However, last year, the performance-based pools held around $21 million in total. Of this, $3 million was reserved for ATP 500 performers. 

The remaining $18 million came from the profit-sharing deal established after players demanded better pay and greater financial transparency from tournaments. Each bonus fund uses two payment structures. One is a fixed reward based on a player’s ranking within the bonus categories. The other is a variable payment tied to the profit-sharing system. 

A formula assigns a dollar amount to each ranking point from designated tournaments. For example, if each point is valued at $10 and a player earns 100 points, he receives $1,000 from this component.

These calculations are still being finalised for the new season, but last year Sinner earned $1.3 million from the variable profit-sharing section alone. The numbers can be overwhelming. Yet they help explain why players complain about the long season but continue competing week after week.

And as the ATP increases profit-sharing across the tour, one unexpected development stunned fans. A sudden news story revealed that Carlos Alcaraz was forced to give up millions because of a costly and little-known rule.

Carlos Alcaraz set to lose half his ATP bonus

Carlos Alcaraz has missed out on $2.4 million in prize money because of a rule that punishes players who do not compete in ATP Masters 1000 events. The rule applies even when a player earns enough points to top the Bonus Pool standings. Alcaraz finished with 4,420 points but still lost half of his potential payout.

He played an impressive season with 11 finals and eight titles. His victories included two Grand Slams at the French Open (Roland Garros) and the US Open. Based on his performance, he could have earned $4.8 million from the Bonus Pool. However, the rule limits how much a player can receive if they miss key tournaments.

The ATP reduces a player’s Bonus Pool payout by 25 per cent for every missed Masters 1000 event caused by withdrawal or injury, up to three missed tournaments. After the fourth missed event, the reduction becomes 100 per cent. This system is designed to keep top players participating in the biggest events.

Alcaraz missed the Canada Open in the summer and the Shanghai Open in the fall. Because of these absences, his payout dropped to $2.4 million. Missing these events triggered the 50 per cent loss.

He avoided a penalty for skipping the Madrid Open. According to ATP rules, he fulfilled his commitments by still visiting the Spanish capital even though he did not compete.

With the Spaniard now missing the chance to claim the full amount, it becomes clearer why players follow the demanding schedule. They rarely voice frustration because the financial incentives are significant.

And as the 2026 season approaches, the OneVision prize pool will continue motivating players to meet tournament requirements.