US Open Announces 20% Prize Money Increase, Singles Winners Taking Home $5.5 Million

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced on Thursday, August 20th, that the US Open prize pool would rise to a record $108 million. This marks an impressive 20% increase from last year’s amount and a whopping 44% increase from the adjustment in 2024.

Both the men’s singles and women’s singles champions at the Flushing Meadows tournament will earn $5.5 million each, the highest Grand Slam winnings in tennis history. In comparison, Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka each took home $5 million for winning last year (out of the total $90 million prize pool).

Breaking Down the New Prize Money

All 128 players that make it into each singles main draw will earn a record-breaking $140,000. Quarterfinalists will then earn $780,000 each while semifinalists earn $1.45 million. Each singles runner-up will receive $2.8 million in prize money.

In men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles, all winning teams will split a $1 million prize and the runner-up team in each discipline will split a $500,000 prize. Both wheelchair singles champions will earn $104,000 for winning.

New Player Support Program

Along with the prize money announcement, the USTA announced that it would create a player support program and initially invest $2 million. The donated total will be used for bolstering existing pension funds and providing player benefits. Men’s and women’s players will receive equal financial support from the USTA as part of this program.

The USTA also announced the establishment of the Grand Slam Player Advisory Council so that professional players can have a greater role and ultimately receive more revenue from all four Grand Slam tournaments. The new player support program will be designed as a joint effort between tournament organizers and members of this new player-led council.

During the announcement, USTA CEO Craig Tiley described the organization’s financial support as “a significant first step in a multiyear investment in athletes as the US Open continues to be the best economic opportunity for players and the most valuable platform in tennis for players, fans, and partners.”

The Threat of Player Boycotts

This record-setting increase in US Open prize money comes after a significant period of tension between players and tournament organizers. In April of 2025, a group of top-ranked tennis players sent a joint letter to the top administrators of each Grand Slam with a demand for better prize money and support for player welfare programs.

The signatories of that letter included Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner, Iga Świątek, and other major players from both the ATP and WTA. Certain players even threatened to boycott the upcoming US Open’s mixed doubles event if more prize money was not allocated.

In response to the increased prize money and new player program, a joint statement was released by some of the same top players, saying “These steps represent important progress in the ongoing conversations between players and the US Open over the past eighteen months.”

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