Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff and other tennis stars’ lobbying for better pay results in record $90 million bag from upcoming U.S. Open
Prize money at the U.S. Open will rise to nearly $85 million across all competitions this year, including a record $5 million each to the women’s and men’s singles champions, and total player compensation is jumping 20% to $90 million, the most in tennis history.
The U.S. Tennis Association announced the payouts Wednesday for the year’s last Grand Slam tournament, which begins with the new mixed doubles event and its $1 million top check on Aug. 19-20. Singles competition starts on a Sunday for the first time — Aug. 24 — as those brackets expand from 14 days to 15.
The increases at Flushing Meadows — where last year’s total compensation was $75 million — come as the sport’s leading players have been in discussions with each of the four major tournaments in a bid to receive a higher percentage of revenues at the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, French Open and Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff and 2024 U.S. Open champions Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner were among 20 players who signed a letter sent to the heads of the four Grand Slam events in March seeking more prize money and a greater say in what they called “decisions that directly impact us.” Since then, some players have held talks with the majors.
The previous high amount for a U.S. Open singles championship was $3.85 million in 2019, before decreasing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year’s $5 million check represents a 39% hike from last year’s $3.6 million. The same percentage increase was applied to the singles runners-up, who get $2.5 million each. Semifinalists will earn $1.26 million, a 26% rise.
At Wimbledon, which ended last month, prize money went up about 7% to about $73 million at the exchange rate when the All England Club announced its player payments. The singles champions were paid about $4 million apiece.
In New York, the winning teams in women’s and men’s doubles will receive $1 million, a new high for those events at the U.S. Open, where total prizes for qualifying are going up to $8 million, a 10% increase.
The $85 million in 2025 U.S. Open prize money includes singles, doubles, qualifying and wheelchair events.
Wednesday’s news comes after the USTA said in May that its main arena, Arthur Ashe Stadium, would be overhauled as part of an $800 million project touted as the “largest single investment” in U.S. Open history.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com