Detail photo of the U.S. Open men's singles championship trophy at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, Sunday, September 7, 2025. White House Photo by Daniel Torok
MANILA — The US Open has unveiled a $108-million prize fund (around P6.68 billion) for 2026.
This makes it the richest purse in all Grand Slam history.
The figure represents a 20 percent jump from the previous year's total.
Singles champions on both the men's and women's sides will pocket $5.5 million or P339 million each. This is a 10 percent higher from what was paid out in 2025.
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Even early exits are getting a bigger payday as those eliminated in the opening round will walk away with $140,000 (P8.6 million), a jump of $30,000 or 27 percent from last year's figure.
That first-round sum is now the largest of its kind across all four majors.
Qualifiers who fall in their opening match will also see a boost, with payouts rising 16 percent to $32,000 or P1.98 million.
On the doubles side, winning teams in the men's, women's, and mixed draws will each take home $1,000,000 or P61.7 million.
Tucked into the overall prize pool is a $2 million or P123.48 million allocation for a player welfare fund.
Beyond prize money, the tournament is rolling out something no other major has done before: a dedicated Player Support Program.
The $2 million allotted for this initiative will be divided evenly between the men's and women's fields and kept in escrow while organizers work out the finer points.
In a related move, the US Open has teamed up with the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, and Wimbledon to launch a joint Grand Slam Player Council. The body gives athletes a formal channel to weigh in on tournament and on-court matters, and shape how the US Open's new support program gets implemented.
With all four majors now moving in the same direction on athlete welfare, further specifics on how the program will function are expected to emerge in the months ahead.
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