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Wimbledon will have a record prize money increase this year, though the amount still falls short of players’ demands.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club announced a record purse of $85.7 million (£64.2 million) for the 2026 tournament, which starts June 29. That’s a 20% increase over last year.
The men’s and women’s singles champions will each receive about $4.8 million (£3.6 million).
The announcement comes just weeks after the majority of the top 10 men’s and women’s singles players participated in coordinated media protests at Roland-Garros. The French Open announced a 9.5% prize money increase this year, but the players’ share of tournament revenue dipped from 15.5% to 15%.
Players are seeking 22% of revenue from Grand Slam tournaments by 2030, compared to the typical 15% they have received in recent years. They were reportedly seeking about $93.5 million (£70 million) for the Wimbledon prize pool this year.
The 2026 tournament begins on June 29.
At a news conference Thursday, Wimbledon chair Debbie Jevans said tournament organizers discussed prize money with Larry Scott, a representative for many top players, at the French Open. She said she hopes the players feel the increase is enough.
“I believe what we have done is right and appropriate so I would hope the players would welcome it. It’s a significant amount of money.”
Wimbledon’s financial structure differs from other Grand Slams. Since 2008, the tournament has distributed 90% of its profits to the Lawn Tennis Association, an agreement that runs until 2053. The All England club acquired the LTA’s 50% ownership of the Wimbledon tennis grounds in the agreement.
Wimbledon also increased the prize pool for qualifying to nearly $8.3 million (£6.2 million), a 25% increase from last year.
Tennis stars have maintained that the intention of their protests is to benefit all players, particularly lower-ranked players who have to carry the financial burden of a costly tennis calendar.
“We’re doing this for the whole sport,” world No. 5 Jessica Pegula said at Roland-Garros. “We’re trying to basically use our voices and maybe the more media presence that we get to again see if the ecosystem of the whole sport is going to keep building or growing.”
Roland-Garros women’s singles runner-up Maja Chwalińska said before the tournament semifinals that she “struggled to pay” for her hotel, in part because her winnings were only going to arrive after the tournament. Chwalińska, who was ranked No. 114 before the French Open, won more than $1.6 million, tripling her career earnings.
