Wimbledon champions to receive record three million pounds in prize money

Wimbledon has increased its prize money for this year's championships to 53.5 million pounds ($72.59 million), a 7 per cent increase on 2024 and double what they offered a decade ago, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) said on Thursday.

The singles champions will receive three million pounds ($4.07 million) each, the highest across all Grand Slams and a 11.1 per cent increase on the prize money Carlos Alcaraz and Barbora Krejcikova took home last year.

Singles players who exit the first round will receive 66,000 pounds, a 10 per cent increase on last year. Doubles prize money has also increased by 4.4 per cent, mixed doubles by 4.3 per cent and the wheelchair and quad wheelchair events by 5.6 per cent.

The increase also comes after the world's top players called for significant improvements in prize money at the four Grand Slams as a way to ensure a more equitable distribution of revenue.

"We have listened to the players, we have engaged with the players," AELTC chair Deborah Jevans said.

"But the focus on just the prize money at the four events, the Grand Slams, does not get to the heart of what the challenge is with tennis.

"The challenge with tennis is the fact that the players don't have an off-season which they want, they have increasing injuries that they're speaking about."

Jevans added that Wimbledon is willing to engage and talk with the tours to try and find solutions but there has not been any proposal as to how the tour is able to change its structure.

FINAL AT 4 P.M.

The AELTC also said the doubles finals on the weekend would start at 1 p.m. local time and the singles finals at 4 p.m.

Such a change could potentially change playing conditions - like having the roof closed and the lights switched on - if the match