US Open Schedules Big Prize Money Increases

Written by: Staff on 20th March 2013

US Open Schedules Big Prize Money Increases |

The US Open has responded positively to player pressure and continued threats of boycotts and by 2017 the total amount of prize money will reach $US 50 million, effectively doubling the amount offered last year.

In addition the men’s final will definitely be switched back to Sunday (weather permitting) by 2015.

The ATP Player Council, meeting in Miami on the eve of the Sony Open, were formally presented with the information by the United States Tennis Association who will add an extra $4.1 million to this year’s prize pool, on top of a $4 million jump already announced in December.

Therefore the US Open prize pool, $25.5 million in 2012, will total $33.6 million when the competition kicks off in late August at New York’s Flushing Meadows this year.

The conversations between the USTA and players leader was done by telephone with Player Council president Roger Federer back home in Switzerland. The new prize pool should satisfy the players’ demands that prize money should be raised in particular to reward those lower ranked player who habitually lose in the initial rounds.

USTA Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer Gordon Smith said: “Roger said it perhaps best of all: ‘It’s time for us to work together, as opposed to working against each other.”

Chairman of the Board and President David Haggerty refused to concede that the USTA was forced into the decision and said: “I wouldn’t say necessarily ‘pressure.’ I would say ‘spirited discussions.”

And Haggerty was insistent the USTA has not been pressurized by the other three Grand Slams in a bid to placate players who threatened a boycott of January’s Australian Open before prize money was raised.

“Each of the Grand Slams makes their own decisions,” Haggerty said. “We have not had conversations with the other Grand Slams to tell them what we’re doing. They will hear about it when it is announced.”

Now the USTA will review its’ own economics in terms of ticket prices and the use of television and marketing revenue. Smith acknowledged the short term financial future could be a little problematic and said: “Frankly, we’ll take somewhat of a hit but it’s the right thing to do for the Open and for the players, so we’re doing it.”

As yet the USTA are not in a position to formally announce the distribution of prize money, round by round. “We have a good idea, but we are still working on that,” Smith said. “We’ve shared our thinking (with the ATP), and I think we’re all pretty much on the same page, but we’re working out the details.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: ATP tennis news, David Haggerty, Roger Federer, Sports, Tennis News, tennis prize money, US Open, Usta