Wimbledon announces £64.2m prize pot increase after players protest
The All England Club better known as the Wimbledon has increased its prize money pot to 64.2 million following players protest over poor Grand Slam pay packages.
The 20% increase of the prize money pot which significantly boosts payouts was made known by Wimbledon chair Debbie Jevans on Thursday morning during a press conference.
He disclosed that the Wimbledon singles’ champions will now pocket £3.6 million each while first-round losers will receive £80,000 each after being beaten at that stage of the competition.
According to Jevans, the 20% increase on last year and a £10.7 million uplift now allows tennis players worldwide to continue to share in the success of the annual tournament.
“I recognise there is one topic you are most interested in hearing about this morning and that’s prize money,” Jevans told reporters.
“For 2026 the prize money fund will be £64.2 million, that is a 20% increase on last year and a £10.7 million uplift which allows players to continue to share in our success.
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“Our support for players is distributed throughout the draw. Gentlemen’s and Ladies singles’ champions will each receive £3.6 million and first-round prize money is set at £80,000, so players that lose in the first round will share more than £5 million in prize money.
“These figures represent a substantial increase in prize money.”
Recall last month that a host of leading lawn tennis players actively discussed the potential boycott of future Grand Slam tournaments demanding a fair share of revenue and improved player benefits.
Led by Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauf, the players demanded a more equitable and standardized revenue share, similar to WTA/ATP 1000 events.
The players argued that the prize money increases does not match the massive revenues generated by the Grand Slams, with the share at Rolland Garros expected to drop to 14% by 2026.
Besides the higher pay, the players also sought better health benefits and retirement plans, with calls for unionization to facilitate collective bargaining.
