Wimbledon Announces 40% Prize Money Boost
The All-England Club has announced a record prize pot for this year’s Wimbledon Championship, up 40% to £22.6 million, while plans for a retractable roof for Number One Court were also announced.
The prize money hike represents the largest single increase in the history of the sport, with the men and women set to compete for the championship and a £1.6 million cheque – up £450,000 from 2012.
However, it is the players who lose in the early rounds or in qualifying that are set to see the biggest rise, with prize money offered to those who lose in the first three rounds increasing by over 60% from last year.
The news is likely to be welcomed by players from all ends of the rankings following a heated buildup last year, which saw world number one Novak Djokovic warning of an ongoing fight for a greater share of revenues and speaking out for lower-ranked players who struggle to make ends meet without lucrative sponsorship deals.
Following last year’s overall increase of 10%, the total rise for these early-round losers stands at around 90% over a two-year period.
Similarly, losing qualifiers will receive a 41% increase in prize money, bringing the two-year increase for this group to 71%, while doubles players will also receive a 22% increase.
In a further announcement, The All England Club confirmed its intention to build a retractable roof over No.1 Court, the site’s second largest show court, which would bring the total covered seats – including Centre Court – to 26,500, from 2019.
Philip Brook, the chairman of the All England Club and The Championships, said: ‘I would like to thank all those whose contribution to Wimbledon’s success both on and off court has today enabled us to announce these significant levels of investment in The Championships.’
‘For the players, it is a deep appreciation of the demanding nature of professional tennis and the top-quality entertainment they bring, while for The Championships it is about giving all our visitors the finest stage on which to enjoy Wimbledon.’
Meanwhile, it was also confirmed on Tuesday that CCTV5, China’s national sports broadcaster, will provide between 40 and 50 hours of live tournament coverage, with Lavazza, the official coffee of Wimbledon, announcing a three-year extension to its existing deal for the tournament, which takes place from 24th June to 7th July.
