Serena Williams Will Compete for Record Prize Money at 2011 US Open

Written by: Staff on 24th August 2011

Serena Williams Will Compete for Record Prize Money at 2011 US Open

Serena Williams of the U.S. reacts after hitting a winning shot against Marion Bartoli of France during the second set at the Bank of the West tennis final at Stanford University in Stanford, California, USA 31 July 2011. Williams defeated Bartoli 7-5, 6-1. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO |

Serena Williams clinched the 2011 Olympus US Open Series women’s title on Tuesday. This is the first career Olympus US Open Series title for Williams, who earned 170 points by winning titles at Series events in Stanford and Toronto.

Williams will now compete for the largest payout in tennis history at the 2011 US Open — $2.8 million ($1.8 million for winning the US Open and a $1 million bonus for winning the US Open and the Olympus US Open Series). The women’s second and third place finishers in this year’s bonus challenge have yet to be determined, with Agnieszka Radwanksa, Maria Sharapova and Marion Bartoli still in contention

This year marks the first time in Olympus US Open Series history that Americans have won both the men’s and women’s titles, as Mardy Fish clinched the men’s title last week. Novak Djokovic has clinched second place, and the third place finisher will be determined at the Winston-Salem Open.

Fish will also compete for $1 million in bonus prize money at the 2011 US Open. The second and third place finishers on both the men’s and women’s sides will compete for $500,000 and $250,000, respectively.

Andy Murray won the 2010 Olympus US Open Series men’s title and Caroline Wozniacki won the women’s title. In 2007, Roger Federer collected the biggest paycheck in tennis history — $2.4 million — for winning the US Open and the Olympus US Open Series. In 2005, Kim Clijsters also captured both the US Open and the Olympus US Open Series, winning $2.2 million — the largest purse in women’s sports history — and again equaled that amount in 2010, winning the US Open and finishing second in the Olympus US Open Series.

Now in its eighth season, the Olympus US Open Series has established itself as a true regular season of hard court tennis, linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. Fans follow the action throughout the summer through national television coverage, culminating each week with back-to-back men’s and women’s finals on Sunday afternoon. Players battle for $40 million, including a chance for bonus prize money at the US Open. In 2008, Olympus became the first title sponsor of the Series. The Olympus US Open Series is also supported by sponsors American Express, evian, Esurance and Gatorade.