US Open Prize Money 2026: How Much Every Round Is Worth

The USTA announced a total prize pool of $108 million for the 2026 US Open, marking a 20% jump from last year’s $90 million and the first time any Grand Slam has crossed the $100 million threshold in total player compensation. Every stage of the singles draw from qualifying through the final saw a bump in payout compared to 2025.

Round by Round Singles Breakdown

The payout structure for both men’s and women’s singles is the same at every stage of the draw, continuing the US Open’s equal-pay structure. The first-round payout alone jumped 27% from last year, making it the largest first-round check in Grand Slam history. Here’s what players receive for making it through each round:

First round: $140,000
Second round: $190,000
Third round: $290,000
Fourth round: $480,000
Quarterfinals: $780,000
Semifinals: $1.45 million
Runner-up: $2.8 million
Champion: $5.5 million

$5.5 million is the largest single payout for a Grand Slam champion in tennis history, and a 10% increase from last year’s $5 million. Prize money accelerates much faster in the later rounds of the tournament, with the jump from the fourth round to the quarterfinals at $300,000, the quarterfinals to the semifinals at $670,000, and the semifinals to the final at $1.35 million.

Qualifying Still Pays

What many fans don’t know is that players don’t even need to make the main draw to cash a check at the US Open. Those eliminated in the first round of qualifying still take home $32,000, while a second-round exit pays $48,000, and $66,000 for losing in the final qualifying round. These payouts represent roughly a 15% increase from 2025.

Doubles and Mixed Doubles

The champions in both men’s and women’s doubles will earn $1 million per pair in 2026, which remains the same as last year. Meanwhile, the runner-up teams split $500,000, the semifinalists earn $250,000, and the quarterfinalists take home $125,000.

Mixed doubles uses a similar payout structure, with the winning pair taking home $1 million at the US Open, once again identical to 2025. Runners-up earn $500,000, semifinalists $250,000, and quarterfinalists $120,000, while even first-round losers in the 16-team field still pocket $40,000.

A New Player Support Program

The USTA also introduced a new Player Support Program in 2026, with a $2 million initial commitment to support players beyond just prize money. This fund is split equally between men’s and women’s competitors, and is meant to help athletes navigate career transitions, retirement planning, and the ongoing costs of travel and coaching.

How the Majors Compare

The US Open is still the highest-paying Grand Slam in tennis by a large margin. Its $5.5 million winner’s purse is nearly double the Australian Open’s payout of ~$2.79 million and significantly higher than Roland Garros’s ~$3.25 million purse. Wimbledon is the only major that comes close, with its champion’s prize at a record ~$4.8 million in 2026, much closer than previous years.

In recent years, early-round payouts have grown much faster than payouts for the winning players, part of a trend across all four majors aimed at supporting lower-ranked athletes. Ten years ago, singles champions took home 18.3% of all prize money distributed to singles players. In 2026, that figure has fallen to 12.9%, even as the total purse has grown significantly.

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