US Open boosts prize money to record $25.5 million

NEW YORK (AFP) –

View of the US Open tennis tournament in 2011 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. US Open prize money will jump by more than $2 million this year to a record $25.5 million with another $2.6 million in potential bonuses available, the US Tennis Association announced on Wednesday.

US Open prize money will jump by more than $2 million this year to a record $25.5 million with another $2.6 million in potential bonuses available, the US Tennis Association announced on Wednesday.

For the 40th year in a row, women and men will receive equal prize money, with each singles champion taking home a record $1.9 million and potentially up to $1 million each in bonus money for performance in US Open tuneup events.

This year’s US Open prize purse features an 11 percent overall increase in men’s and women’s singles draws. First-round prize money will be boosted by 21 percent over last year. Second-round prize money will jump 19 percent.

“We recognize the mounting financial pressures associated with competing on the global professional tennis circuits and especially for those who do not reach the second week of the US Open,” said US Tennis Association president Jon Vegosen.

“We believe the additional prize money, as well as how it will be strategically distributed, will help alleviate some of the pressure.”

Bonus payments for playing in and producing the best results in selected pre-Open tournaments has helped produce record payouts of $2.2 million to 2010 US Open women’s winner Kim Clijsters and $2.4 million to Roger Federer in 2007.