US Open total prize money reaches record high

US Open prize money hits record high

The prize money for the 2026 US Open, the final Grand Slam of the year, has reached a record high of $108 million. This is a 20 percent increase from last year.

Tournament organizers said the prize money has increased by 44 percent compared to 2024. Each winner of the men's and women's singles will receive $5.5 million, the highest prize money in tennis history.

Players who lose in the first round of the main draw will also earn $140,000, the highest first-round prize money in Grand Slam history.

In addition, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) will allocate $ 2 million for a new program aimed at supporting tennis players. This money will be divided equally between male and female tennis players.

The increase in prize money was positively received by tennis players. Earlier, athletes planned to hold protests demanding a larger share of the income from the Grand Slam tournaments. After the increase in the prize money, tennis players decided not to hold a protest at this year's US Open.

At the same time, tennis players do not intend to limit themselves to an increase in prize money. They demand the introduction of a single system of distributing competition income among tennis players at all Grand Slam tournaments.

The organizers of the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open have also established the Grand Slam Player Advisory Council to protect the interests of tennis players and take their opinions into account. The council will begin its work after the 2026 US Open.

For information, the 2026 US Open will be held in New York, USA, from August 30 to September 13. The current champion of the tournament is Carlos Alcaraz of Spain.