Australian Open 2026: Record Prize Money Revealed

The Australian Open 2026 will be giving out more prize money than ever before. The salaries for the professionals increase by 16 percent compared to the previous year.

For the first time in the history of the Australian Open, the organizers are paying out total prize money that exceeds $100 million, in Australian dollars (AUD). The prize money for all competitions amounts to a total of 111.5 million AUD (around 64 million euros). In 2025, AUD 96.5 million was distributed (approx. 55 million euros). The increase in prize money is therefore 16 percent.

In terms of prize money compared to the other three Grand Slam tournaments, the Australian Open has now overtaken Roland Garros and Wimbledon. In Paris, 56.3 million euros were distributed in 2025; At Wimbledon last year it was almost 63 million euros. The US Open continues to be in first place, paying out almost 80 million euros in 2025.

Grand Slam tournaments in prize money comparison

The sharp increase in prize money in Melbourne was expected because the Australian tennis association, Tennis Australia, had an absolute record year in 2025 with sales of AUD 693 million. Tennis Australia is hosting the Australian Open, which counted more than a million fans for the first time in 2025 and concluded lucrative TV deals and sponsorship contracts.

Australian Open: Fan Week as a growth driver

The “Fan Week”, i.e. the qualification week before the start of the main fields, is also gaining massive importance in Melbourne due to additional events and is an additional growth driver. In 2026 there will be a large-scale “One-Point Challenge” in which professionals like Carlos Alcaraz compete against amateurs. New to the program: An oldies event with Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt and Patrick Rafter.

“The 16 percent increase demonstrates our commitment to supporting tennis careers at all levels,” said tournament director Craig Tiley. As an example, he cites the prize money that is distributed in the qualification. Fees there have increased by 55 percent since 2023.

The individual winner will each receive 4.15 million Australian dollars (approx. 2.4 million euros) – an increase of 19 percent compared to the previous year (see table below). For comparison: The champions of the US Open 2025, Carlos Alcaraz and Arnya Sabalenka, each received five million US dollars, or around 4.2 million euros. Whoever loses in the first round of the Australian Open 2026 will receive 150,000 Australian dollars (86,000 euros). Tennis professionals who fail at the start of qualification are paid the equivalent of 23,000 euros.

The main draws of the 2026 Australian Open begin on Sunday, January 18th and end two weeks later on February 1st.

Prize money for the Australian Open 2026 in singles in euros