Iga Swiatek leads 2022 prize money list ahead of Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic

Iga Swiatek's sensational 2022 season has seen her take home a second Grand Slam trophy and go on an impressive win streak through the Sunshine Double and the European clay swing.

And while results have not been the same since her Roland Garros triumph, the World No. 1 continues to put together an impressive set of feats. Swiatek currently leads the list of players — both men and women in terms of prize money.

Swiatek's $6.64 million gives her a near-$220,000 cushion over her nearest rival — none other than her childhood idol and 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard's on-court earnings for the season stand at around $6.42 million.

Following Nadal on the list are the likes of Carlos Alcaraz ($4.76 million)— who is in the midst of a breakthrough season himself, Novak Djokovic ($4.23 million) — who took home a 21st Grand Slam trophy at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships and Stefanos Tsitipas ($4.16 million).

To put things in perspective, it is pertinent to note that the WTA tour offers lesser prize money cheques than the men's tour.

For instance, the men's singles winner at the recently-cocluded Western & Southern Open, Borna Coric took home a prize money cheque worth $970,020. Caroline Garcia, meanwhile, earned $412,000 — less than half of her male counterpart.

The disparity is even more apparent where the tournaments are held separately. Notably, the same comes at a time when both the men's and women's governing bodies are making joint efforts towards establishing equity in the sport.

While Iga Swiatek's prize money purse for 2022 is a testament to her sheer dominance on the women's tour, it can hardly be seen as a win for women in the sport at large.

The last time a women's player finished atop the prize money list at the end of a season was in 2003- — when Kim Clijsters earned $4.5 million, ahead of Roger Federer's near-$4 million.

Iga Swiatek and Daniil Medvedev lead 2022 US Open entry lists

Iga Swiatek at the Western & Southern Open

Iga Swiatek will be the top seed for the 2022 US Open, but is expected to face a tough test from a jam-packed field. With the likes of former champions Serena Williams — playing in her last pro event, last year's winner Emma Raducanu, Naomi Osaka, Sloane Stephens and others will be tough opponents to navigate through.

In-form players Caroline Garcia, Simona Halep and Petra Kvitova, as well as young guns led by Coco Gauff, will also be looking to make their impact felt on the big stage.

Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, will be looking to dethrone top seed Daniil Medvedev — who lifted his maiden Grand Slam title by denying Novak Djokovic a Calendar Slam. Djokovic will be missing from this year's tournament due to his unvaccinated status barring him from entering the United States.