Officials have confirmed a $10 million increase in prize money for the Australian Open tennis tournament, which is scheduled to begin in January at Melbourne Park. Tournament director Craig Tiley announced the new prize money total of $86.5 million on Friday. The increase affects every round of the tournament, with the biggest changes occurring in qualifying and the early rounds of singles and doubles. For instance, first-round qualifiers will receive a 20% increase to $31,250. Additionally, the men’s and women’s singles champions will each be awarded $3.15 million. The women’s and men’s finals will occur on January 27th and 28th, respectively.
In other tennis news, John Millman, a retiring player, suggested that he hopes to compete with his friend Alex de Minaur’s girlfriend during the upcoming United Cup. De Minaur, the no. 1 Australian player, dismissed the possibility of facing off against his girlfriend, Katie Boulter, in mixed doubles, but left the door open by saying “You never know until you sign on the dotted line.” The United Cup, which features matches between countries, is set to begin on Friday with Australia playing against Great Britain in Perth. In Sydney, Spain will face Brazil. The event is part of the players’ preparations for the upcoming Australian Open.
Speaking of the Australian Open, world no. 1 Novak Djokovic has expressed his enthusiasm for the tournament, saying he feels welcomed by the Australian audience and it would be an honor to represent Serbia. He has big goals for the upcoming competition, hoping to stretch his Grand Slam record to 25. He also mentioned that playing tennis in Australia has always been a special experience for him, indicating that he would be thrilled to return in the future. On the other hand, world no. 8 Karolina Muchova has had to withdraw from the Australian Open due to a recurring wrist injury, which means she won’t be able to start the season as planned. She expressed her disappointment on Instagram and vowed to make a comeback in 2025. Overall, the anticipation for the Australian Open is building up, with players and fans eagerly awaiting the first Grand Slam event of the season.