The 2025 US Open is set to make history with the largest prize purse ever seen in professional tennis, offering a staggering $90 million (£67.4 million) in total prize money. The groundbreaking announcement places the American Grand Slam far ahead of its counterparts in terms of player compensation and financial incentives.
This year’s men’s and women’s singles champions will each take home $5 million (£3.7 million), a 39% increase from last year’s $3.6 million (£2.8 million). The move comes amid rising calls for fairer revenue distribution among elite players and lower-ranked competitors alike.
Prize Money Breakdown
The tournament, held annually at Flushing Meadows in New York, has implemented across-the-board increases for all events and stages. Key highlights include:
- First-round losers in the singles main draw will receive $110,000 (£82,400), up 10% from 2024.
- The total prize pool for doubles stands at $4.78 million (£3.6 million), representing a 23% hike from the previous year.
- For the first time in history, the winners of men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles will earn $1 million per team (£749,000).
- The qualifying tournament prize money has also increased by 10% to reach $8 million (£6 million).
- An additional $5 million will be allocated to assist main draw players with travel, accommodation, and other expenses.
A Response to Player Demands
The record prize purse comes in the wake of a joint letter issued earlier this year by the top 20 men’s and women’s players, demanding a greater share of the revenue generated by Grand Slam tournaments. The US Open’s bold financial commitment is seen as a direct response to these calls.
In a statement, the tournament organisers explained:
“The US Open has made a deliberate and concerted effort to ensure double-digit percentage increases from 2024 in all rounds of all events for all players, while at the same time significantly increasing the percentage of prize money for athletes playing deep into the singles draws.”
Context and Comparisons
By comparison, Wimbledon 2025 offered a total purse of £53.5 million, with £3 million awarded to each singles champion — considerably less than the new US Open figures.
With these enhancements, the US Open further cements its reputation not only as a prestigious Grand Slam event but also as a tournament leading the way in player compensation and welfare.
The 2025 edition of the US Open is scheduled to run from 24 August to 7 September, and will undoubtedly draw the world’s top tennis talent, all vying for a slice of this historic purse.
Source – My News Ghana
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