US Open Sets Grand Slam Record With $108 Million Prize Fund

The 2026 US Open will distribute a record $108 million in prize money after the United States Tennis Association announced a 20% increase from last year. The Guardian reported that the total is the largest prize fund in Grand Slam history and has been welcomed by leading players ahead of the tournament at Flushing Meadow.

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Each men’s and women’s singles champion will receive $5.5 million. Players who lose in the first round of the singles main draw are guaranteed $140,000, which The Guardian reported is the highest payment in tennis history for reaching that stage. The tournament’s overall prize money has risen by 44% since 2024.

The announcement has also eased a dispute between players and the sport’s four major tournaments. According to The Guardian, players will not continue the protest action that affected the buildup to the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year. Those actions included a media boycott as players pressed for a larger share of tournament revenue.

The USTA has also committed $2 million to a new player support program. The money is intended to provide benefits and supplement existing pension arrangements, making the US Open the first Grand Slam to add a separate financial commitment focused on player welfare.

All four Grand Slam tournaments have also confirmed plans to establish a joint Player Advisory Council. The development addresses players’ calls for a more direct and consistent role in decisions affecting them. Details of the council’s membership, representation and operation are still to be discussed by players and their representatives.

Despite welcoming the US Open’s moves, players have not abandoned their wider demand for an agreed revenue-sharing formula across the four majors. The Guardian reported that they want a formal system rather than relying on annual prize-money announcements. The new fund, welfare commitment and advisory body therefore represent progress in negotiations, while the central question of how tournament revenue should be shared remains unresolved.