Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic and other players at the U.S. Open will be playing for a record total of $75 million in compensation at the year’s last Grand Slam tennis tournament, a rise of about 15% from a year ago. The women’s and men’s singles champions will each receive $3.6 million, the U.S. Tennis Association announced Wednesday. The total compensation, which includes money to cover players’ expenses, rises $10 million from the $65 million in 2023 and was touted by the USTA as “the largest purse in tennis history.”
Quick Read
- US Open player compensation rises to a record $75 million, with singles champs getting $3.6 million:
- Record Compensation: The U.S. Open will offer a total of $75 million in player compensation, a 15% increase from the previous year.
- Singles Champions’ Prize: The men’s and women’s singles champions will each receive $3.6 million.
- Largest Purse in Tennis History: The U.S. Tennis Association announced this compensation as the largest purse in tennis history.
- Comparison to Other Grand Slams: The total compensation surpasses that of Wimbledon ($64 million), the French Open, and the Australian Open (both at $58 million) for 2024.
- Pre-Pandemic Paycheck Comparison: The champions’ checks are up 20% from last year’s $3 million but still below the $3.9 million awarded in 2019.
- Defending Champions: Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic are the defending champions from last year.
- Main Draw and Prize Distribution: Play in the main draws begins on Aug. 26, concluding with the women’s final on Sept. 7 and the men’s final on Sept. 8. There are prize increases in every round of the main draw and in qualifying.
- First Round Exit Prize: Players exiting in the first round of the main event will receive $100,000 each, up from $81,500 in 2023 and $58,000 in 2019.
- Doubles Champions’ Prize: The doubles champions will receive $750,000 per team, up from $700,000 last year.
- Wheelchair Competition: There won’t be a wheelchair competition due to the overlap with the Paralympic Games in Paris. The USTA will provide grants to players who would have qualified for direct entry.
The Associated Press has the story:
US Open player compensation rises to a record $65M, with singles champs getting $3.6M
Newslooks- (AP)
Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic and other players at the U.S. Open will be playing for a record total of $75 million in compensation at the year’s last Grand Slam tennis tournament, a rise of about 15% from a year ago. The women’s and men’s singles champions will each receive $3.6 million, the U.S. Tennis Association announced Wednesday. The total compensation, which includes money to cover players’ expenses, rises $10 million from the $65 million in 2023 and was touted by the USTA as “the largest purse in tennis history.”
The full compensation puts the U.S. Open ahead of the sport’s other three major championships in 2024. Based on currency exchange figures at the times of the events, Wimbledon offered about $64 million in prizes, with the French Open and Australian Open both at about $58 million. The champions’ checks jump 20% from last year’s $3 million, but the amount remains below the pre-pandemic paycheck of $3.9 million that went to each winner in 2019.
Last year at Flushing Meadows, Gauff won her first Grand Slam title, and Djokovic earned his 24th, extending his record for the most by a man in tennis history. Play in the main draws for singles begins on Aug. 26 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and concludes with the women’s final on Sept. 7 and the men’s final on Sept. 8. There are increases in every round of the main draw and in qualifying.
Players exiting the 128-person brackets in the first round of the main event for women’s and men’s singles get $100,000 each for the first time, up from $81,500 in 2023 and from $58,000 in 2019. In doubles, the champions will get $750,000 per team; that number was $700,000 a year ago.
There won’t be a wheelchair competition at Flushing Meadows this year because the dates of the Paralympic Games in Paris overlap with the U.S. Open. So the USTA is giving player grants to the players who would have been in the U.S. Open field via direct entry.
