Indian Wells Tennis Prize Money to Soar

Written by: Staff on 21st December 2011

Indian Wells Tennis Prize Money to Soar |

There seems to be no stopping the tennis prize money juggernaut, with the Indian Wells Masters now raising the stakes with bragging rights in the payday sweepstakes.

The ATP-WTA event bankrolled by the billionaire businessman, sportsman and playboy Larry Ellison and can now claim to be the first to offer $1 million each to men’s and women’s winners of the March tournament.

The rich in tennis are just getting richer thanks to the prize money escalation which seems to have nothing to do with financial reality in a nation facing a $16 trillion national debt. For tennis, the show goes on as the money keeps pouring in.

Indian Wells tournament director Steve Simon naturally crowed about his latest record, joined of course by the lame duck head of ht ATP Adam Helfant and his women’s counterpart Stacey Allaster.

“Becoming the first combined ATP World Tour and WTA event to award $1 million to each singles champion and reach these overall prize money levels is a testament to the growth and success of the event for more than 35 years,” said Simon.

The event will increase its total prize money commitment for the upcoming edition to $11 million, with winners to earn $1 million, finalists half that and semi-finalists a cool $200,00.

Before Ellison came on board with his checkbook, the 2009 edition of the event paid $3 million less in total prize money, with the payout doubling in less than five years.