US Open singles champs to earn record $5.5 million; total prize money at $108 million

The US Open has boosted the prize pool by 20%, including a Grand Slam-record $5.5 million to this year's singles champions.

The overall compensation is a record $108 million, up from $90 million last year and a whopping 44% jump from $75 million in 2024.

The numbers were released Thursday by the United States Tennis Association, with play at the hard-court major set to begin on August 30 in Flushing, New York.

Every player who makes the 128-player main singles draw will earn at least $140,000, up 27% from last year and the largest in tennis history. Quarterfinalists will earn $780,000 and semifinalists will get $1.45 million, with $2.8 million going to the runners-up.

Last year's champions—Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus—each earned a winner's check of $5 million.

By comparison, the prize pools for the other 2026 Grand Slam tournaments were: Wimbledon (about $87.5 million), French Open (about $71.7 million) and the Australian Open (about $79.3 million).

The payout structure was revealed shortly after the sport's four biggest tournaments announced the creation of a Grand Slam Player Council that is intended to give players a voice on a range of issues like prize money. — Field Level Media/with a report from Reuters