Alcaraz to lose millions as World No.1 hit by lesser-known tennis rule

Carlos Alcaraz is set to miss out on millions after pulling out of the Shanghai Masters. The 22-year-old Spaniard announced earlier this week that he will not be participating in the Chinese tournament due to an injury sustained at the Japan Open.

Despite twisting his left ankle during the opening round in Tokyo and ignoring calls from his team to retire from the competition, Alcaraz persevered and emerged victorious, defeating Taylor Fritz 6-4 6-4 in the final to clinch his eighth ATP title of the year. However, the ATP No. 1 soon revealed that he would not be continuing his Asian tour, citing the risk of entering another tournament as too high. In a heartfelt statement shared on Instagram, he wrote: "I'm very disappointed to announce that I won't be able to play the Rolex Shanghai Masters this year!

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"Unfortunately, I've been struggling with some physical issues and, after discussing with my team, we believe the best decision is to rest and recover. I was really looking forward to playing in front of the amazing fans in Shanghai again. I hope to be back soon and see my Chinese fans next year!"

It marks the third mandatory Masters 1000 tournament that Alcaraz has withdrawn from in 2025. The young star previously missed the Madrid Open and the Canadian Open, and these absences have proven to be financially detrimental.

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The ATP has bonus pools for Masters 1000s, the ATP Finals, and 500-level tournaments. With three tournament victories in the latter category, Alcaraz is set to top the ATP 500 bonus pool.

However, his absence from three 1000-level tournaments could see his bonus reward slashed by a staggering 75 per cent due to ATP regulations. Yet, fines and reductions can be mitigated if players participate in on-site promotional activities.

It remains unclear whether Alcaraz did so for the three tournaments he withdrew from, but if not, he faces a full 75 per cent cut to his bonus. After winning this year's Monte-Carlo Masters, the Italian Open, and the Cincinnati Open, Alcaraz currently leads the bonus pool standings.

The top player stands to pocket a hefty £3.3million, but only if they compete in enough tournaments. It would require a significant shift for Jannik Sinner to topple Alcaraz from the top spot.

The Italian would need to triumph at the Shanghai Masters, the Paris Masters, and accumulate more points at the ATP Finals to surpass Alcaraz. However, even if Sinner managed to climb to the top, he wouldn't receive any bonus.

Sinner was notably absent from the Indian Wells Open, the Miami Open and the Madrid Open during his three-month suspension after reaching an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency. He then chose to skip the Canadian Open, forfeiting his entire bonus pool sum due to it being his fourth absence in 2025.

However, there's a silver lining for both Alcaraz and Sinner as they have a lucrative event on the horizon. They are set to participate in the 6 Kings Slam exhibition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia later this month.

The exhibition will also feature Fritz, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Each of the six players will pocket a £1.1m participation fee, with the winner walking away with a whopping £3.3m.

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