Maya Joint and Alex de Minaur star for Australia against Czechia, scores, odds, how to watch
The Australian Open surpassed the $100 million prize money mark with this year’s singles champions receiving a check of $4.15 million; That’s an increase of almost 20 percent over earnings in 2025.
There’s something of an arms race going on between the grand slams when it comes to prize money. While the Australian Open’s overall prize is set to increase by 16 per cent in 2026, cash prizes Down Under remain below those offered by the US Open last year, which had a total prize pool of US$90 million ($134 million).
Jannik Sinner lifts the Australian Open men’s singles trophy in January 2025. Credit: EddieJim
As part of the $111.5 million overall prize pool in Melbourne, first-round losers at the Australian Open will pocket $150,000, up 14 percent from last year.
The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), of which Novak Djokovic is one of the founders, previously determined the player income share in tennis as 17.5 percent; It lagged behind sports such as golf (22.6 percent), Major League Baseball and NFL (both 47 percent), and the National Hockey League and NBA (both 50 percent).
The figures have previously been questioned by player bodies. The multiple governing bodies in tennis (the tours, the International Tennis Federation and the four majors) complicate the issue of player compensation.
Novak Djokovic is in the semifinals of the 2025 Australian Open.Credit: access point
Former world No. 1 Djokovic, who left the PTPA over transparency and governance concerns, welcomed the sharp increase in prize money (20 per cent) at the US Open last year but said there was “room for improvement”.
“Look, this is a step in the right direction,” Djokovic said in August.
“It’s always nice and positive to see that the grand slams are willing to increase prize money overall for players.
“[But] “I think there is still a lot of room for improvement in this sense.”
Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley said the body’s $135 million total prize pool for all summer events in Australia reinforced its commitment to supporting professional athletes.
“This is a 16 percent increase [at the Australian Open] “This demonstrates our commitment to supporting tennis careers at all levels,” Tiley said.
“From increasing the qualifying prize money by 55 per cent since 2023 to increasing player benefits, we are ensuring professional tennis is sustainable for all competitors.”
