US tennis association (USTA) has announced yet another prize money hike for the 2018 US Open tennis championship making it the most lucrative tennis grand slam. 6% increase in 2018 tournament takes total prize money pool to record $53 million compared to $50.4 million offered in 2017 tournament. Both men’s and women’s singles champions will pocket as much as $3.8 million each followed by $1.85 million for singles runners-up. We take a complete look at 2018 US Open tennis prize money breakdown.
US Open 2018 Prize Money Breakdown: With another 6% increase in the total prize money pool taking the total record $53 million, US Open becomes the highest paying grand slam outright. Singles competitions get 6% increase, followed by 5% increase for men’s and women doubles events. The biggest increase however comes for Qualifying event see the biggest increase where $3.2 million dollars distributed among players eliminated from 3 qualifying rounds.
Here is the full breakdown of 2018 US Open Tennis Championship purse which will be awarded in different categories.
| STAGES | Mens Singles | Women Singls | Mens Doubles | Women Doubles | Mixed Doubles | Qualifying & Others Events |
| Winners | $3.8m | $3.8m | $700,000 | $700,000 | $175,000 | $3.2m (qualifying) |
| Runnerups | $1.85m | $1.85m | $350,000 | $350,000 | $90,000 | $650,000 (others) |
| Semi-Finalists | $925,000 | $925,000 | $166,400 | $166,400 | $45,000 | |
| Quarter-Finalists | $475,000 | $475,000 | $85,275 | $85,275 | $22,500 | |
| 4th Round | $266,000 | $266,000 | $46,500 | $46,500 | $11,750 | |
| 3rd Round | $156,000 | $156,000 | $27,875 | $27,875 | $5,500 | |
| 2nd Round | $93,000 | $93,000 | $16,500 | $16,500 | ||
| 1st Round | $54,000 | $54,000 | ||||
| TOTAL | $21m | $21m | $3m | $3m | $500,000 | $3.3m |
Highest Paying Tennis Event In History ? 2017 will see increase in US Open prize money for the 6th straight year and that makes US open as the most lucrative tennis tournament for players. US Tennis Association had announced back in 2013 that tournament will see yearly increase in prize money to eventually reach $50 million by 2017 and thats exactly how things panned out. Recent increase in Prize money see US open pip Wimbledon (which was hit hard by brexit) as the highest paying grand slam in the world.
See Also: Compare all four grand slam prize money
Even the players participating in the qualifying rounds will get handsomely compensated with around $2.7 million distributed to the losing players of qualifying rounds 1,2 and 3. 1st Qualifying round losers will get around $7500 each, while second qualifying round losers will pocket around $15,000 each and the third qualifying rounds getting as much as $20,000 each.
How do you come up with the “total” row? For example, the winner of the men’s singles overall competition seems to earn $6.7M through all payouts. Does your total include compensation to the losing players, as well?
the total represent portion allocated for each category. for example mens singles championship has $16 million same goes for women singles etc
The men play best-of-five, the women play best-of-three, for the same money. That’s so unfair, if the situation were reversed there’d be war.
You are absolutely correct!!
The women get a potty break of ten minutes after every set and play 2/3. I guess ‘fair’ really is a playground word…none of the women could be a D1 player, including Serena…she simply couldn’t get to 108mph up the T.
the women don’t make the rules, the USTA does. Why shouldn’t they be paid the same. They didn’t ask for best of 3 and certainly didn’t make the bathroom break rules. SMH
Unbelievable, $3.5m for the womens final? Who’s watching that screaming moaning.
Exactly!
The women train just as hard as the men, and they pull in just as much ticket revenue as the men. They should earn the same
As usual, some women´s lib apologist simply misstates the facts because he/she has no possible way of arguing for equal pay in tennis. The revenue for men´s tennis was 106 million while for the women it was 69 million – that is to say NOT EVEN CLOSE. And the women make their most money at tournaments that have both men and women playing, so the discrepancy is even greater. This is the perfect example of why the whole “equal pay” trope is complete BS!
I agree. Those are just the realistic simple FACTS! If it were not for tournaments such as the U.S. Open, women’s tennis would simply not get the same attemntion as the mens players. Sorry ladies. And I DO enjoy watching women’s tennis.
No…..the women do NOT draw as much attention, attendance-wise & t.v. audience viewership, as men’s tennis does. Those ARE the FACTS. I do not personally have a problem with the women earning as much money as the men in joint tournaments (Wimbledon, etc.), BUT they need to draw in the SAME revenues as men to justify earning the same amount of money as emn’s players.
I enjoy the women’s game! Usually more competitive!
Let be fair. Same prize money, should equal the same 3 sets to win a game.
Why such poor prize for mixed doubles?
The men who complain about “the best of three rules” and cry for “fairness” and mean being treated like women are obviously the new and modern men… . If someone earns 3,5 Mio… in 2 weeks… by playing tennis, there shouldn’t be complaint but gratefulness.
The guys who are playing best of three at the slams are masters of their profession. And to me it is almost offending thinking about making them play best of two like girls.
Man up guys!
Women tennis is although competitive…. But mens Big top 5 Fed, Rafa ,Djokovic , Murray and Stan has totally changed the way tennis is played whether in the case of physical or mental fitness , their variety and skillfulness in an amazing shot making and their different style and pattern of play… And don’t forget Del Potro ,Kei Nishikori and so on .That’s the reason why the world audience is so much attracted I am interested in watching men’s tennis …… In women’s tennis everyone has a similar style and shot making ……
How about cutting down how many sets the men play?Let them play 2 out of three. It’s better for their bodies and the odds favor the person who wins the first 2 out of 3rd anyway. Then there would be no complaints.
When I see a woman who can beat a man in a singles match, then maybe, but as one of the tennis announcers said even a man ranked 105 in the world could beat the number one woman like Venus or Serena. This years US Open Women’s final and semi final was a real snoozer, blowouts and emotions over real tennis skill.