2025's Top 10 Prize Money Earners
A year-over-year look at the top prize-money earners in professional pickleball, how their rankings shifted from 2024, and where injuries and partnership changes shaped the final table.
Prize money only (APP, MLP, PPA). Contracts, appearance fees, and endorsements are excluded from all figures.
Overview
Prize money in professional pickleball continued to climb in 2025, with deeper draws and richer purses across PPA, MLP, and APP events. Using DinkBank's internal payout data, this report examines the top 10 prize-money earners of 2025, compares them to their 2024 prize-money rankings, and highlights where injuries, schedule volume, and partnership changes shaped the final table. All figures below represent prize money only (APP + MLP + PPA) and exclude contracts, appearance fees, and endorsements.
From a macro view, 2025 reinforced a familiar story at the top. Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns once again finished No. 1 and No. 2 in prize earnings. Behind them, however, the table churned. JW Johnson and Jorja Johnson posted some of the largest year-over-year climbs, while Christian Alshon, Gabriel Tardio, and Tyra Black broke into the top 10 for the first time. At the same time, established names like Catherine Parenteau and Federico Staksrud slid down the table, reflecting a more competitive and less predictable prize-money landscape.
Methodology Snapshot
- Scope: PPA, MLP, and APP main draws only, 2025 season
- Metric: Prize money only per player (no contracts, appearance fees, bonuses, or endorsements)
- Source: DinkBank internal payout calculations built from official event prize breakdowns and brackets
- Comparison Year: 2024 prize-money rankings recalculated on the same basis (APP + MLP + PPA only)
- Movement: "Up / down X spots" is based solely on prize-money rank, not total earnings including contracts
All dollar figures are compiled by DinkBank using official tour prize structures and publicly available payout information where possible. In cases where full breakdowns are not published, figures may reflect DinkBank estimates based on comparable events and historical distributions. Amounts are subject to revision if tours update or correct their published payouts. For more details, see the Methodology page.
2025 Top 10 vs 2024
| Player | 2025 Prize Money | 2025 Rank | 2024 Rank | Movement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anna Leigh Waters | $167,873 | 1 | 1 | stays #1 |
| Ben Johns | $132,970 | 2 | 2 | stays #2 |
| JW Johnson | $86,223 | 3 | 6 | up 3 spots |
| Jorja Johnson | $83,547 | 4 | 7 | up 3 spots |
| Anna Bright | $80,595 | 5 | 5 | stays #5 |
| Christian Alshon | $77,317 | 6 | — | new to Top 10 |
| Gabriel Tardio | $73,647 | 7 | — | new to Top 10 |
| Catherine Parenteau | $68,571 | 8 | 4 | down 4 spots |
| Federico Staksrud | $64,274 | 9 | 3 | down 6 spots |
| Tyra Black | $60,300 | 10 | — | new to Top 10 |
Prize totals reflect final reconciled APP, MLP, and PPA payouts for the 2025 season.
Player Breakdown
1. Anna Leigh Waters — $167,873 (stays #1)
2024 prize rank: 1st · Movement: no change
Anna Leigh Waters repeats as the sport's top prize-money earner, once again pairing volume with consistency across singles, women's doubles, and mixed. While her absolute prize total dipped slightly from 2024, she remained the most reliable podium presence on tour.
2025 also marked a notable partnership shift following the end of her long-running women's doubles pairing with Catherine Parenteau. Despite that reset, Waters continued to convert deep runs into prize money at a higher rate than anyone else.
There were no major publicly reported injuries affecting her availability in late 2024 or 2025. Durability remains one of her biggest competitive advantages.
2. Ben Johns — $132,970 (stays #2)
2024 prize rank: 2nd · Movement: no change
Ben Johns holds steady at No. 2 for the second consecutive year. Even with a slightly lighter singles load at times, his results in men's doubles and mixed kept him firmly near the top of the prize table.
A rolled ankle in late 2024 forced him to withdraw from a singles draw at one event, but the issue did not appear to carry into 2025. He returned quickly to championship form and continued to post high-leverage wins.
Johns' 2025 prize ranking underscores how high his floor remains, even in seasons without a clear statistical peak.
3. JW Johnson — $86,223 (up 3 spots)
2024 prize rank: 6th · Movement: up 3 spots
JW Johnson recorded one of the largest jumps in the 2025 prize-money table, climbing three spots year over year. His rise was driven by consistent deep runs across multiple tours rather than a single breakout event.
Johnson's ability to contribute immediately in new partnerships and anchor MLP lineups translated directly into steady prize accumulation. He was rarely absent from late rounds, and that consistency paid off financially.
No major injuries were widely reported during the 2024–2025 window, allowing him to maintain a full schedule and capitalize on form.
4. Jorja Johnson — $83,547 (up 3 spots)
2024 prize rank: 7th · Movement: up 3 spots
Jorja Johnson matched JW Johnson for the largest year-over-year climb among returning top earners. She moved up three spots in 2025, driven by improved results in women's doubles and strong mixed performances.
Her 2025 season included several high-profile wins against top-tier teams, reinforcing her position as a consistent threat late in tournaments. Availability also played a role—Jorja logged a full slate of events without extended absences.
With no significant injuries reported, her rise reflects performance gains rather than a rebound from time off.
5. Anna Bright — $80,595 (stays #5)
2024 prize rank: 5th · Movement: no change
Anna Bright holds her position at No. 5, reinforcing her status as one of the most stable prize-money earners on tour. Her aggressive style and success across women's doubles and mixed continued to generate podium finishes throughout 2025.
Bright benefited from a shifting partnership landscape at the top of the women's game, converting opportunities into consistent checks even as the field tightened.
There were no widely reported injuries that materially limited her schedule, making her ranking a straightforward reflection of on-court output.
6. Christian Alshon — $77,317 (new to Top 10)
2024 prize rank: Outside Top 10 · Movement: new entry
Christian Alshon's entry into the top 10 is one of the most notable stories of 2025. His 2024 season was disrupted by surgery and subsequent knee issues that forced him out of multiple singles draws and limited his schedule.
In 2025, a healthier Alshon returned to form, posting significant singles results and rounding out his doubles resume. The combination of improved health and increased volume translated directly into higher prize earnings.
His season reads as a clear rebound, demonstrating how quickly prize-money rankings can shift when availability improves.
7. Gabriel Tardio — $73,647 (new to Top 10)
2024 prize rank: Outside Top 10 · Movement: new entry
Gabriel Tardio enters the top 10 in 2025 as a first-time prize-money finisher, landing at No. 7. Rather than a single breakout run, his season was defined by consistent appearances in later rounds and a heavier overall workload.
Tardio built on momentum from 2024, where he posted multiple notable wins over top seeds, and carried that trajectory into a more complete 2025 campaign.
No major injuries were publicly reported across the 2024–2025 period, making his rise primarily performance- and volume-driven.
8. Catherine Parenteau — $68,571 (down 4 spots)
2024 prize rank: 4th · Movement: down 4 spots
Catherine Parenteau slides from fourth to eighth despite remaining one of the most technically refined players in the sport. The most significant factor in her drop was the end of her long-standing partnership with Anna Leigh Waters early in 2025.
While Parenteau continued to log strong results, the process of testing new pairings coincided with a more distributed podium landscape in women's doubles. The result was a lower aggregate prize total compared with recent seasons.
No major injury absences were widely reported, suggesting the shift was driven more by competitive dynamics than health.
9. Federico Staksrud — $64,274 (down 6 spots)
2024 prize rank: 3rd · Movement: down 6 spots
Federico Staksrud experienced the steepest drop among returning top-10 earners, falling from third to ninth. After a banner prize-money year in 2024, his 2025 results were more uneven, with fewer dominant singles runs and less frequent finals appearances.
Staksrud remained competitive throughout the season, but the emergence of new high-volume earners pushed him down the table.
There were no widely reported long-term injuries, indicating that results variance and increased competition were the primary drivers of his movement.
10. Tyra Black — $60,300 (new to Top 10)
2024 prize rank: Outside Top 10 · Movement: new entry
Tyra Black rounds out the 2025 top 10 following a season defined by physical play and timely singles and doubles results. Her presence in later rounds, particularly in high-value PPA draws, translated into meaningful prize earnings.
Media attention in 2024 highlighted her rapid rise; in 2025, that momentum converted into a top-10 prize finish. Importantly, she achieved this without relying on a heavy contract component, underscoring the strength of her on-court results.
No major injuries were widely documented during the season, making her entry a clean breakout.
Who Dropped Out of the Top 10?
Three players who finished in the 2024 prize-money top 10 fell out of the list in 2025:
Rachel Rohrbacher (2024: 8th)
A strong 2024 season gave way to a more crowded women's doubles field in 2025. While Rohrbacher remained competitive, tighter margins pushed her prize total just outside the top 10.
Dylan Frazier (2024: 9th)
Frazier continued to be a dangerous doubles presence, but a mix of schedule choices and intensified competition limited his ability to repeat as a top-10 prize earner.
Andrei Daescu (2024: 10th)
After meaningful prize checks across APP and MLP in 2024, Daescu's 2025 total fell short of the top 10 as the field deepened and newer contenders emerged.
Takeaways for 2026
- Stability at the top, volatility below. Waters and Johns remain entrenched at the summit, but positions three through ten are highly fluid.
- Health and availability matter. Alshon's rebound highlights how injuries can suppress prize earnings—and how quickly rankings can change once players return to full strength.
- Partnership decisions are financial decisions. Shifts in doubles pairings materially affected where prize money landed in 2025.
- New money is coming fast. The arrival of Tardio and Black signals that future seasons may see even more turnover among prize leaders.