The first Grand Slam of the year, Australian Open, has become more rewarding for players as the tournament organisers have announced a 13% increase in the total prize money up for grabs. The total prize money on offer will be a whopping $AU 86.5 million.
Tournament director of the Australian Open, Craig Tiley, informed about the announcement and also pinpointed the major increases in the qualifying and the early rounds of of the singles and the doubles events.
"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," Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said.
"It is critical to the continued success of the Australian Open that we ensure that the best players in the world are compensated appropriately as we know this allows players to invest in their own careers and in many cases, helps set them up for success throughout the year.
"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," he added.
As per the latest announcement, the prize money on offer at every round has increased compared to the 2023 edition.
While the winners and runner-ups in the men's and the women's singles categories will take $3,150,000 and $1,725,000 at home, the winners and the runner-ups in the doubles categories will earn $730,000 and $400,000 respectively.
Australian Open 2024 gets underway on January 14 and is eagerly awaited as it marks the return of Rafael Nadal to the Grand Slams after a long gap due to fitness issues. The winner of 22 Grand Slam men's singles titles from Spain will be one of the star attractions at the event this time around.
