Tennis champions Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek may have canceled the Wimbledon trophy this summer, but their win is that the UK’s expensive tax costs are over £1m.
Audit, tax and business consulting firm Blick Rothenberg warned that both the Italian men’s singles champion and the Polish women’s champion will face substantial tax liabilities in their UK income, despite not being a British tax resident.
Robert Salter, director of Blick Rothenberg, explained that while players may not live in the UK, their £3 million Wimbledon bonus is still taxable under the HMRC rules, as well as elements of their commercial income.
“Wimbledon will be obliged to pay withholding tax at a flat 20% fee to pay the bonuses to these stars,” Salter said. “However, Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek will eventually be taxed at the highest rate of bonuses in the UK, and their bonuses are any allowable business expenses they can deduct.”
In addition to earning prizes, a portion of each player’s image rights income may also belong to the UK Tax Network, as HMRC believes this is partly due to their presence and publicity during the game.
Salter added that while international tax laws have made the HMRC explicitly tax the non-resident tax athletes based on UK income, the UK system remains one of the most unfavorable systems for global sports stars.
“Many countries, including Germany, offer travel athletes greater tax treatment,” he said. “The relatively punitive regime in the UK has previously blocked stars like Usain Bolt and Rafael Nadal from attending certain British events due to financial implications.”
That said, Wimbledon remains one of the most prestigious events in the global sports calendar, and its profile is still attracting top athletes despite the tax burden.
While organizers benefit from unrivaled visibility and global recognition, players weigh the cost of glory with the HMRC bill. For champions like Sinner and Swiatek, a Grand Slam title may be priceless, but tax collectors still have a large share.
