US Open Champs Get Lowest Payout Since 2012; Total Prizes Up

Naomi Osaka, of Japan, holds up the championship trophy after defeating Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, in the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships in New York, on Sept. 12, 2020. Seth Wenig/AP Photo

The two singles champions at this year’s U.S. Open will earn 35 percent less than in 2019, the last time the Grand Slam tennis tournament allowed spectators, while prize money for qualifying and the first three rounds of the main draw will rise as part of an overall increase.

A year after banning fans entirely because of the coronavirus pandemic and lowering prize money due to lost revenue, the U.S. Tennis Association announced Monday that it will be boosting total player compensation to a record $57.5 million, slightly more than the $57.2 million in 2019. The figure was $53.4 million in 2020.