The debate over prize money at Grand Slam events is likely to be ramped up when the USTA confirms how much they will be handing over to players at this year’s US Open, with another big increase expected.
Last year’s US Open prize money fund piled the pressure on the other three Grand Slam tournaments as the New York event became the first to pay their men’s and women’s singles champions a whopping $5m.
The total prize money paid out last year was $90 million, increasing 20 per cent from $75 million in 2024.
They are huge figures, but it is not enough for players who are demanding a higher percentage of revenue at a tournament and not just the profit generated.
Players have threatened to go on strike unless they get their own way and when you see the figures being generated by what is effectively a three-week event at the US Open, it highlights how much cash is generated.
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The United States Tennis Association (USTA) reported $623.8million in revenue in 2024, with the vast majority coming from their US Open extravaganza.
The tournament accounted for $559.6 million of the governing body’s income, or 90% of the total haul, according to its most recent audited financial statements. Event expenses were $282.2 million, implying an operating profit of about $277.4 million.
Amid those numbers, the USTA have announced plans for and $800m overhaul of the U.S. Open’s New York City venue that includes a renovation of its main stadium and a new player performance venue next door.
Those improvements can only be funded by the success of the event and if players want the best facilities and roofs on stadiums that allow play when the rain comes in, it needs to be funded by tournament income.
The USTA are set to take on considerable debt to fund their renovation plan, yet there is a good chance that this year’s US Open will generate more funds than ever.
The extravagant cost of tickets has been on display on the official site for sales, with courtside tickets for the return of Roger Federer for an exhibition game on the Tuesday before the tournaments stars currently on the resale market at $11,925.00 per ticket.
Resale tickets for the men’s singles final are on sale for an eye-watering $20,921.07 each, while face value tickets are on sale for the women’s final the day before at $5,885.38.
It is hard to imagine these tickets are being purchased by regular tennis fans, with resale tickets for action on the opening day of the main draw on the vast upper tier on Arthur Ashe Stadium are currently available for $427.56.
Throw in the extravagant prices for food and drink at the US Open and this has become an event for companies to buy tickets for their clients that can be put down as business expenses.
There are some more affordable options, with ground pass tickets sold for a face value price of $65 and some tickets for show courts on offer for less than $200.
However, ground passes are also on offer on the official resale site, with fans being asked to pay $306.40 for a ticket that just grants access to the grounds at the US Open venue.
The players may feel they are more than entitled to a piece of this financial pie and while we can debate whether they are misguided in understanding the difference between profit and revenue when they make their arguments for more prize money, the biggest picture may be impacting tennis fans around the world.
Tickets for the second week at Wimbledon on Centre Court cost around $300 each and while that is a big outlay, it’s nothing compared to the price you would need to pay to attend this year’s US Open
Most tennis fans were priced out of attending the US Open long ago and there is no way back for an event that is now chasing spectators who are more interested in a corporate experience than the joy of watching the best tennis players in the world.
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