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The Australian Open has smashed through the $100 million prizemoney mark with this year’s singles champions to receive cheques for $4.15 million – close to a 20 per cent increase on 2025 winnings.

There’s something of an arms races between the grand slams when it comes to prizemoney. While the overall Australian Open bounty is up 16 per cent in 2026, cash rewards Down Under are short of what’s offered by the US Open which had a total prize pool of $US90 million ($134 million) last year.

As part of an overall prize pool of $111.5 million in Melbourne, Australian Open first-round losers will pocket $150,000 – a 14 per cent increase on last year.

The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), co-founded by Novak Djokovic, has previously placed the player revenue share in tennis at 17.5 per cent, behind sports such as golf (22.6 per cent), Major League Baseball and NFL (both 47 per cent), and the National Hockey League and NBA (both 50 per cent).

The figures have previously been questioned by the player bodies. Having so many governing bodies in tennis – the tours, the International Tennis Federation and the four majors – adds complexity to the issue of player remuneration.

Former world No.1 Djokovic, who has quit the PTPA over transparency and governance concerns, last year welcomed the US Open’s sharp increase in prize money (20 per cent) but said there was “room for improvement”.

“Look, it’s a step in the right direction,” Djokovic said in August.

“It’s always nice and positive to see that grand slams are willing to improve the prize money overall across the board for the players.
“[But] I think there is still a lot more room for improvement in that sense.”

Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley said the body’s overall $135 million prize pool for all summer events in Australia reinforced its commitment to supporting professional athletes.

“This 16 per cent increase [at the Australian Open] demonstrates our commitment to supporting tennis careers at every level,” said Tiley.

“From boosting qualifying prize money by 55 per cent since 2023 to enhancing player benefits, we’re ensuring professional tennis is sustainable for all competitors.”