The Australian Open 2026, which is the first Grand Slam tournament of the season, starts on January 18. The only Norwegian is Casper Ruud.
The Australian Open will offer a record £55 million prize amount this year – but players are said to be “disappointed” that it doesn’t represent a larger share of the Grand Slam tournament’s total revenue.
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The total prize amount of AUD 111.5 million represents an increase of 16% compared to last year, and is the largest player fund in the tournament’s history.
The singles champions will receive $4.15 million (£2.05 million) – a 19% increase over the amount that 2025 winners Madison Keys and Jannik Sinner took home.
All singles and doubles players competing in the season opening Grand Slam will receive a minimum increase of 10%.
“This increase demonstrates our commitment to supporting tennis careers at all levels,” said Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley.
The move comes after a group of leading players stepped up pressure on Grand Slam tournaments in October for increased prize money and better player welfare.
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But they are “probably disappointed” that their main demands for the Australian Open and other Grand Slam tournaments have been “largely ignored”, a source close to the players told BBC Sport.
Star names including Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Alexander Zverev are among the top 20 men’s and women’s players who are calling on the four majors for the entire field to receive a higher proportion of prize money in relation to revenue.
The group also wants more consultation on the structure of the sport, as well as increased contributions from the Grand Slam tournaments to pensions, health care and maternity leave schemes.
Although Tennis Australia’s financial statements for 2025 have yet to be made public, the Australian Financial Review reported that the governing body – whose revenue is largely generated by the Australian Open – earned $697.2 million (£346 million) in total revenue.
That figure would mean that this year’s Australian Open prize money accounts for about 16% of the organizer’s revenue.
In 2025, the US Open provided 16% of the previous year’s revenue to players, while Wimbledon (13%) and the French Open – which do not disclose their figures – offered a lower share.
The leading players have asked each Grand Slam tournament for a gradual increase over the next five years, which will eventually bring them closer to the 22% mark they receive in some of the combined ATP and WTA tournaments.
This year’s increase in total prize money means that the Australian Open offers more than Wimbledon (£53.5 million) and French Open (£47.5 million) did in 2025, although it is still behind the US Open (£67.4 million).
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The Australian Open starts in Melbourne on January 18.
