US Open Prize Money: Total Purse & Champion’s Cheque

The US Open pays the richest purse in tennis: a record US$108 million in total for 2026, with the men's and women's singles champions each banking US$5.5 million. How the purse has grown, why the US Open pays men and women the same, and what every round is worth.

US Open prize money. The US Open pays the richest purse in tennis. The 2026 edition carried a record US$108 million in total prize money, the first time any tennis event has passed US$100 million in player compensation, with the men’s and women’s singles champions each banking US$5.5 million: the largest cheques in Grand Slam history. Below is how the purse has grown, what the champion earns, and why the US Open pays men and women equally.

🏆 Headline numbers: US$108 million total purse, US$5.5 million to each singles champion, up 20% on 2025. The 2026 breakdown was confirmed by the USTA ahead of the tournament, which ran from 23 August to 13 September 2026.

US Open prize money at a glance

Item Amount
Total purse US$108 million (record)
Men’s singles champion US$5.5 million
Women’s singles champion US$5.5 million
Year-on-year growth Total purse up 20% (from US$75m); champion’s cheque up 39% (from US$3.6m)
Equal prize money Yes — identical for men and women

 

How the US Open purse has grown

The trajectory has been steep. The total pool rose from US$75 million to US$90 million and then to US$108 million across two years, while the singles champion’s cheque went US$3.6 million, then US$5 million, and now US$5.5 million. That makes the US Open comfortably the highest-paying tournament in the sport.

Crucially, the money is not all at the top. Grand Slam purses have increasingly been weighted toward the early rounds, where first-round losers still collect six figures, the difference between a viable season and a loss-making one for players outside the top 100. The full round-by-round breakdown for 2026 is published by the USTA in the weeks before the main draw, and we will update this page when it lands.

Equal prize money: a US Open first

The US Open was the first Grand Slam to pay men and women equally, introducing equal prize money in 1973, decades before the other majors followed. Wimbledon and Roland-Garros did not reach parity until 2007. That history is part of why the singles cheques are always identical figures, and why any report of a split purse at Flushing Meadows is simply wrong.

What it means for punters

Prize money is not just trivia. It shapes behaviour, and behaviour shapes markets. Three things worth knowing:

Late-season motivation. The US Open is the final Slam of the year, and for players on the fringe of the top 100 the early-round money is season-defining. Expect maximum effort in first-round matches from players you might otherwise write off.

Withdrawal risk. Because first-round losers are paid, players carrying injuries have a financial reason to start a match they cannot finish. In a best-of-five men’s draw, that is a real retirement risk, relevant if you are betting match markets or building multis.

Depth of field. The richest purse in tennis draws the strongest possible entry list, so there are fewer soft landings in the early rounds than at a smaller event. For outright markets, see our US Open betting tips and odds guide, and check which bookmakers price the deepest tennis markets in our top tennis betting sites in Australia comparison.

US Open prize money FAQs

How much does the US Open champion get?

Alexander Zverev and Elena Rybakina each received US$5.5 million for winning the 2026 singles titles, a record for any Grand Slam.

What is the total US Open prize money?

The 2026 total purse was a record US$108 million, up 20% from US$90 million in 2025. It is the largest prize pool in tennis.

Do men and women get the same prize money at the US Open?

Yes. The US Open was the first Grand Slam to introduce equal prize money, in 1973, and the men’s and women’s singles champions receive identical cheques.

When is the 2026 US Open prize money announced?

The USTA confirms the full round-by-round breakdown in the weeks before the tournament. The 2026 figures on this page are the confirmed ones.

Which Grand Slam pays the most?

The US Open. Its record US$108 million purse and US$5.5 million singles cheques are the highest in the sport.

More US Open content

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