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New York - This year's US Open will be the richest Grand Slam tournament in history after organisers on Thursday announced prize money for the event had been increased to $57 million (R790 million).
The US Tennis Association said the winners of the men's and women's singles titles at the tournament will receive a record payday of $3.85 million while the men's and women's doubles champions would receive $740 000.
The purse is an eight percent increase over 2018 prize money, and enables the US Open offer the highest payouts for each round of any of the four tennis majors.
Over the past four years, payouts for first round losers have increased by 47 percent, while players eliminated in the second round of the 2019 US Open will receive $100 000.
"The US Open prides itself on offering the best tennis players in the world the richest total prize money in our sport," USTA chairperson Patrick Galbraith said in a statement.
The US Open is also to make a $1 million contribution, split evenly between the ATP Tour and WTA Tour to help fund transition programmes for players leaving the sport.
"We strive to be innovative, and feel that our new contribution of $500 000 to both the ATP’s pension plan and the WTA Tour’s transition programs for players will go a long way toward the long-term financial well-being of all of our sport's athletes," Galbraith added.
This year's US Open takes place at Flushing Meadows in New York from August 23.
