- Australian Open prize money has increased this year
- The host country has not had a men's singles winner since 1976
Tennis stars playing at the 2025 Australian Open will be laughing all the way to the bank because of the staggering prize money on offer at the first Grand Slam of the season.
The Australian Open has revealed the prize money breakdown for this year's event, with prize money up almost 12 per cent in 2024 to $96.5 million.
Novak Djokovic will be looking to claim his 25th career Grand Slam and, incredibly, his 11th title at Melbourne Park when the tournament begins on Sunday.
If the Serbian ace lifts the trophy on January 26, he will also be rewarded financially: the men's singles winner will receive a staggering $3.5 million.
The same prize money applies in the women's singles championship, with world number one Aryna Sabalenka the big favorite in the eyes of many people.
Whoever finishes in second place will take home $1.9 million.
Australia's Alex de Minaur hopes to win the men's singles category and claim a staggering $3.5 million in prize money.
Aryna Sabalenka is the big favorite to win the women's singles title in Melbourne
Those who are eliminated early will not have much difficulty, as the first round losers in men's and women's singles will receive $132,000.
Semifinalists will win $1.1 million, and Australian Open prize money has increased more than 36 percent over the past five editions.
Doubles players are set to win $40,000 even if they lose in the first round: title winners will take home $810,000 and runners-up $440,000 per duo.
In 2024, mixed doubles winners received $165,000, but that will increase to $175,000 this year, while runners-up will receive $97,750.
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said last year that increasing the prize money ensures many elite players will not miss the tournament.
“It is critical to the continued success of the Australian Open that we ensure the best players in the world are adequately compensated, as we know this (money) allows players to invest in their own careers and, in many cases, helps them to prepare for success throughout the year,' he said in a statement.
“We want to ensure that Australia remains the launch pad for the global tennis season and that players and their teams have everything they need to help them perform at their best and continue to enjoy the Happy Slam.”
Last week, Djokovic called for a fairer distribution of income for all players competing on the professional circuit.
Serbian star Novak Djokovic will seek to achieve the 25th Grand Slam of his career
Nick Kyrgios also expressed concern about the issue, saying players were struggling to cope with what was being offered to them.
“The pie divided between the governing bodies of the major sports, all the major American sports, like the NFL, the NBA, baseball, the NHL, is 50 percent maybe more, some less, but about 50 percent.” Djokovic said in Brisbane.
'Ours is much lower than that, it's true. Obviously it's quite a different sport because it's international and played globally.
'We are under different rules and regulations from different countries and legislations, taxes… each tournament independently governs its own division of prize money.
'Then there is the ATP, the WTA (Women's Tennis Association) and then the Grand Slams, which are separate entities that can do whatever they want.
'It's quite fragmented from that point of view. It's not easy to get everyone in the same room and say, “Okay, let's agree on a certain percentage.”