14 July 2015
Game, set, cash: US Open prize money upped to 42.3 million dollars
New York (dpa) - The rich get richer - in tennis, at least, that
appears to be the case after the US Open on Tuesday announced an
inflation-busting hike in prize money.
The New York major, which starts August 31, is offering an eye-popping 42.3 million-dollar total payout this year. The increase is 10.5 per cent over the 2014 total prize at the final grand slam of the season.
Men's and women's champion will earn 3.3 million each, the largest payout in Open history. Other singles rounds will receive double-digit increases and doubles winners will pocket nearly 15 per cent more.
First-round losers will bank 39,000 dollars just for showing up and taking a few swings at the ball. Even the qualifying tournament has a prize money budget of nearly 2 million dollars, a 12 per cent increase over 2014.
The New York tournament bosses boast that they have hiked prize money by 67 per cent over the last three years ago.
The financial overseers at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon are sure to take notice, and it could spur more extravagant purses in 2016 as the arms race continues with no apparent limit on what a tennis player's time and skills are worth.
This year the total prize at Wimbledon was 40.5 million dollars. The French Open total was 29.68 million dollars and the Australian Open was 32.8 million dollars.
The New York major, which starts August 31, is offering an eye-popping 42.3 million-dollar total payout this year. The increase is 10.5 per cent over the 2014 total prize at the final grand slam of the season.
Men's and women's champion will earn 3.3 million each, the largest payout in Open history. Other singles rounds will receive double-digit increases and doubles winners will pocket nearly 15 per cent more.
First-round losers will bank 39,000 dollars just for showing up and taking a few swings at the ball. Even the qualifying tournament has a prize money budget of nearly 2 million dollars, a 12 per cent increase over 2014.
The New York tournament bosses boast that they have hiked prize money by 67 per cent over the last three years ago.
The financial overseers at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon are sure to take notice, and it could spur more extravagant purses in 2016 as the arms race continues with no apparent limit on what a tennis player's time and skills are worth.
This year the total prize at Wimbledon was 40.5 million dollars. The French Open total was 29.68 million dollars and the Australian Open was 32.8 million dollars.