October Money List: Osaka wins big in Beijing

Naomi Osaka’s victory at the rich China Open in Beijing has seen the Japanese champion head the October Money List.

Incredibly, it was the only tournament Osaka played last month — she also featured at the WTA Finals, which concludes in early November — yet still managed to finish ahead of the next four highest earners, all ATP players benefitting from lucrative purses in Asia and Europe.

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The China Open is one of the richest tournaments outside of the four majors, offering the winner $1.52 million — almost $200,000 more than the champion’s cheques at other Premier Mandatory events in Indian Wells, Miami and Madrid (which also award the same prize money to the men’s winner).

Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas rounded out the top five money earners, while the next highest woman on the October Money List was Kiki Bertens.

October Money List ($US)

1. Naomi Osaka — $1,523,265
Osaka’s triumph in Beijing was her third title of 2019 and fifth overall, helping her return to the world’s top three in the process.

2. Dominic Thiem — $1,447,446
The Austrian’s triumph at ATP 500 tournaments in Beijing and on home soil in Vienna — plus a run to the Shanghai Masters quarterfinals — helped Thiem bank almost $1.5 million in October. 

3. Daniil Medvedev — $1,374,995
For the second month in a row, Medvedev finished among the top five money earners — this time thanks to his triumph at the Shanghai Masters.

4. Alexander Zverev — $897,659
Zverev’s strong form in China — a semifinal in Beijing, a final in Shanghai — helped the German into fourth place on the October Money List.

5. Stefanos Tsitsipas — $843,292
Tsitsipas enjoyed a memorable month, advancing to the final in Beijing and semifinals in Shanghai and Basel to boost his season earnings to almost US$4 million.

Next best: Kiki Bertens ($766,770)
Bertens played every week in October as part of her quest to qualify for the WTA Finals; although she fell just short and headed to Shenzhen as an alternate, she nevertheless enjoyed a semifinal run in Beijing and trip to the final at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai.