Tennis - Australian Open - Men's Singles Final - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 29, 2023 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates with the trophy after winning his final match against Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas REUTERS/Hannah Mckay/ File Photo
SYDNEY (Reuters) - The Australian Open prize fund has been raised by 13% to A$86.5 million ($59.04 million) for the 2024 edition with the greatest percentage increases going to those playing in earlier rounds and qualifiers.
The rise means the prize pot at the Melbourne Park Grand Slam has more than doubled over the last decade but the cash is now far more evenly distributed.
"We've upped prize money for every round at the Australian Open with the major increases in qualifying and the early rounds of singles and doubles," tournament director Craig Tiley said in a news release.
"We want to ensure Australia remains the launchpad for the global tennis season and the players and their teams have everything they need to help them perform at their best and continue to enjoy the Happy Slam."
The two singles champions will each pocket A$3.15 million, which is more than a million dollars less than Novak Djokovic and Sofia Kenin received for winning the titles at the last pre-COVID tournament in 2020.
First-round losers, however, will be rewarded for making the trip Down Under with a cheque for A$120,000, A$30,000 more than they would have received in 2020.
Players who play in the first round of qualifying in January will receive A$31,250 -- 20% more than they would have earned at this year's tournament.
The U.S. Open was the richest of the Grand Slams this year with a prize fund of $65 million, while Wimbledon offered a total of 44.7 million pounds ($56.92 million) and the French Open 49.6 million euros ($54.89 million).
The Australian Open main draw action starts a day earlier than usual on Jan. 14 next year with the men's singles final rounding out the tournament on Jan. 28.
($1 = 1.4650 Australian dollars)
($1 = 0.7853 pounds)
($1 = 0.9036 euros)
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Michael Perry)
