US Open has yet again become the richest Grand Slam tennis tournament. The US Open prize money for the 2018 season has been raised to $53 million.
US Open regained its supremacy by offering the richest ever prize money in the history of tennis. The organisers of the Flushing Meadows Grand Slam have announced the total US Open prize money of $53 million for the 2018 championship. As the tournament marks its 50thanniversary the prize money has been hiked by $2.6 million over the last year’s purse.
The move sets US Open apart from the other three Grand Slams for the biggest prize money purse.
Each singles champion of the US Open 2018 will return home richer by $3.8 million, the largest payout in US Open history and a $100,000 increase from the last year.
Prize money at the US Open has increased by 57% since 2013. The fourth and the last Grand Slam of the year also owns the distinction for being the first tournament to offer equal prize money to men and women competitors in 1973.
The total $53 million purse for the 2018 US Open is more than a 5% increase on the $50.4 million offered in 2017.
The United States Tennis Association has said in its official release that it is continuously involved in the efforts from last three years in improving the payouts for the first three rounds of the tournament to drive more of the increases to the majority of the players.
USTA Chairman of the Board and President Katrina Adams, said, “2018 is a significant year in our history. Not only is it the 50th anniversary of the tournament, we also have completed the five-year transformation of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. We know that we are poised for incredible growth moving forward.”
In the men’s and women’s singles tournaments this year, players will earn $54,000 for playing in the main draw i.e. the Round of 128, $93,000 for reaching the second round and $156,000 for advancing to the Round of 32. They will take home $266,000 for reaching the fourth round, $475,000 for contesting the quarterfinals and $925,000 for making the semifinals. Reaching the final is worth $1,850,000, an increase of $25,000 over last year.
Both the men’s and women’s doubles champions will earn $700,000, the highest in US Open history. First- and second-round losing pairs will earn $16,500 and $27,875, respectively. The doubles players reaching the Round of 16 will receive $46,500, quarter-finalists will win $85,275 and semi-finalists will take home $166,400. The losing finalists will collect $350,000.
In addition, the US Open Qualifying Tournament will offer more than $3 million in prize money for the first time. The participation in the doubles event in the Round of 64 will get each pair $16,500. The Round of 32 will fetch the team $27,875, Round of 16 participants will get $46,500.
The prize money break up for doubles event is as follows: Winner: $700,000, Runners-Up: $350,000, Semi-finalists: $166,400, quarter-finalists: $85,275, Round of 16: $46,500, Round of 32: $27,875, Round of 64: $16,500.
The trend of overall increase in prize money across grand slam events in recent years continues as the US Open open becomes the latest Grand Slam event that enhanced its prize money kitty
In May, the All England Lawn Tennis Club boosted prize money for its iconic Wimbledon tournament by 7.6 per cent to £34m, with the ladies’ and gentlemen’s singles champions each taking away £2.25m.
In March, Roland Garros set total prize money at €39.197m for the 2018 French Open, with top singles prizes of €2.2m on offer, while the 2018 Australian Open offered Aus$55m to competing players.
The 50th anniversary celebrations of US Open are scheduled for August 27 through September 9, with the US Open Qualifying Tournament beginning on August 21.
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