Wimbledon 2022: Start date, seeds, latest odds, and the wildcards to watch out for

Wimbledon has announced record prize money for this summer’s tournament as it seeks to avert a player boycott after being stripped of ranking points over its ban on Russians and Belarussians.

Those entering the Championships will compete for a total prize pot of £40.35 million, 11.1 per cent more than at last year’s event – which had a reduced capacity due to coronavirus – and 5.4 per cent higher than the previous edition in 2019.

The two singles champions will take home £2 million each, the runners-up half that, while those beaten in the first round will still collect £50,000.

Those entering the qualifying competition will also benefit from a 26 per cent increase on last year and a 48.1 per cent uplift on 2019.

John Isner and Lucas Pouille have publicly indicated they could skip Wimbledon after it was stripped of ranking points for banning the likes of Daniil Medvedev over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ian Hewitt, the chairman of the All England Club, said: “From the first round of the qualifying competition to the champions being crowned, this year’s prize money distribution aims to reflect just how important the players are to The Championships as we look to continue to deliver one of the world’s leading sporting events.”

The doubles and mixed doubles prize money funds are up 9.6 and 17.4 per cent on 2021 and 2019, respectively, while those for the wheelchair and quad wheelchair events are up 19.8 and 40.1 per cent.

A return to capacity crowds for the first time in three years and scheduled play on the middle Sunday for the first time have helped make such an increase in prize money possible.

Before pulling out due to injury, Naomi Osaka had said last month: “I would love to go just to get some experience on the grass