Novak Djokovic Falls $31,607,350 Short of Fellow Serbian Star Nikola Jokic Despite Being ATP’s 2023 Highest Earner

Nikola Jokic has transformed the Denver Nuggets franchise. The 2-time MVP led the Nuggets to their franchise’s first-ever Championship last season with his dominant performance. Being just 28 years old and in the middle of his prime, Denver secured The Joker for five more years by signing him to a supermax extension last year.

Jokic has entered the first year of his new contract, and it is so lucrative that he has left fellow Serbian Novak Djokovic way behind in his 2023 earnings. The tennis star fell $31,607,350 short of Nikola Jokic despite being ATP’s highest earner of 2023.

Novak Djokovic is far behind Nikola Jokić in 2023 earnings

2023 was a good year for tennis. A record four players bagged over $10 million this year in tournament earnings. That has only happened thrice in the sport’s history. Serbian sensation Novak Djokovic topped the list with a massive earning of $16 million. However, he fell $31,607,350 short of fellow Serbian superstar Nikola Jokic, who will bag $47,607,350 in the 2023-24 season. The Joker signed a 5-year $264 million contract extension in 2022. The massive extension will keep Jokic with the Nuggets through the 2027-28 season.

The three tennis stars behind Novak Djokovic to earn more than $10 million in 2023 are Carlos Alcaraz with $15.2 million, Daniil Medvedev with $11.5 million, and Jannik Sinner with &10.5 million. The highest-earning female tennis star of 2023 was Iga Swiatek, with $9.9 million. There has been a debate in the past about NBA superstars earning way more money than some of the best players in tennis. A few days ago, Nick Kyrgios called out Washington Wizards star Kyle Kuzma for making over $100 million despite being a “mediocre player”.

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Is Nikola Jokic worth his $264 million contract?

Looking at NBA players’ massive contracts and lavish lifestyle, many question why these athletes get paid so much by their respective teams. The answer lies in the league’s economy. NBA is the second-highest-earning sports league in the world, behind the NFL. In 2022 alone, the NBA generated a revenue of $10.25 billion. When we look at the Denver Nuggets franchise, they generated a revenue of $348 million last season. It was a $75 million increase from the previous year.

Nikola Jokic was the highest-earning player on the Nuggets roster, and he bagged $33,616,770 last season. That means The Joker got 9.65 percent of the Nuggets’ total revenue in the 2022-23 season. Considering that Jokic led the Nuggets to their first Championship, and that was the reason behind their revenue gain last season, it seems like an apt number for the Serbian superstar. Do you think Nikola Jokic gets paid what he deserves in Denver?

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