Tennis Australia has channelled a share of its spectacular rise in revenue back to players by announcing a $111.5m prize pool for this year’s Australian Open, up 16% on last year.
The uplift takes the “happy slam” past Wimbledon, which offered $108m (£53.5m) in 2025, but still behind the US Open’s $134m (US$90m).
“This 16% increase demonstrates our commitment to supporting tennis careers at every level,” Tennis Australia (TA) chief executive, Craig Tiley, said.
“From boosting qualifying prize money by 55% since 2023, to enhancing player benefits, we’re ensuring professional tennis is sustainable for all competitors.”
The winners of the men’s and women’s singles will receive $4.15m each, up 19% on the $3.5m from 2025.
Those who lose in qualifying enjoy a bump of 16%, meaning players who exit at the earliest stage still take home $40,500. TA also supports players through travel assistance – which increased 67% – and welfare initiatives.
Table of Australian Open prize money for each singles round
The expanded purse follows an explosion in TA’s revenue in 2025. Documents lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (Asic) and released in December reported income in the year to September at $693m, an increase of $102m on the preceding period.
The filing does not break down the precise source of the uplift, instead attributing most of it to the broad category of operations and events, which consists of payments from commercial, government and broadcast partners, as well as ticket sales.
TA introduced strategies of “re-engineering ticket types and pricing to better match consumer demand” and “build and monetise our audience” in 2024. A new broadcast deal with Channel Nine began last year, reportedly worth about $80m annually.
A rise in expenses to $681m almost matched revenue growth, but income was enough to leave a net surplus of $15.8m, up on the $7.4m reported in 2024. A surplus of $62m in 2023 was made possible by the Victorian government forgiving a Covid-era loan worth $43m.
The accounts also highlight the effort by the sport’s governing body to become a venture capital player and startup backer in the arena of sport and entertainment technology. TA’s acquisition of investments rose to $66.1m from $20.7m in 2024.
Recently, there have been heightened tensions with players about pay and conditions on tour. TA and the Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA) are reportedly finalising a settlement following an action in the US district court for alleged breaches of US antitrust law.
Australian officials declined to comment on progress on Tuesday, but reiterated its position from late last year that there have been “productive settlement discussions”.
There are conflicting views within the players over the direction of tennis, heightened by this week’s withdrawal of Novak Djokovic from the PTPA, a body he co-founded in 2020.
Compensation for Tiley and his senior executives last year increased to $11.1m, up 7% from $10.4m in 2024.
