Wimbledon Announces Record Prize Fund For 2026

Ahead of this year’s tournament, Wimbledon has announced a record 20% increase in total prize money after players demanded a larger share of the revenue at Grand Slam tournaments.

The total prize money will now be £64.2 million, which has been described as the biggest annual increase in the tournament’s history.

The winners of the men’s and women’s competitions will earn £3.6 million at the grass-court Grand Slam. Players had previously cut short press conferences at the recent French Open in Paris, with threats of future boycotts too.

“I would hope the players would welcome it. It’s a significant amount of money,” All England Club chair Deborah Jevans said at a press conference.

“We’ve demonstrated that we’ve looked at every round, including qualifying. My hope is that the players do recognize what a significant increase that this is.”

First-round losers will receive £80,000, compared to £66,000 in 2025.

The AELTC also announced that total prize money for the qualifying draw would be £6.2m, an increase of 25 per cent.

Many players have spent years calling for a greater share of revenues from the four Grand Slams and have recently begun taking steps toward collective action.

For this year’s Wimbledon, players advocated for a total prize money of £71m, Jevans said, citing her recent talks in Paris with Larry Scott, the former WTA CEO who has been advising the players.

Ahead of the French Open, No 1 Aryna Sabalenka said players should at some point organise a boycott if their demands aren’t met. Men’s No 1 Jannik Sinner, Coco Gauff, and others also spoke out.

At the French Open, top-10 players limited their press conferences with journalists to 15 minutes in their protest over the prize money on offer in the Grand Slam competitions.

Just over a year ago, 20 leading players signed a letter to the heads of the four Grand Slams seeking more prize money and a greater voice in decision-making.

Wimbledon, the oldest Grand Slam tournament, begins on June 29. Iga Swiatek is the defending women’s champion, while the men’s defending champion is Jannik Sinner.