The Australian Open is raising the bar for 2026, with the first Grand Slam of the tennis season boosting its total prize pool to a record $74.9 million — a 16% increase over the 2025 tournament.
Top-finishers in both the women's and men's competitions will now receive checks worth $2.79 million — 19% more than 2025's champions — while a player exiting in the main draw's first round will earn approximately $101,000, a 14% year-over-year increase.
The annual competition has long been a pioneer in promoting equal pay, following the US Open's 1973 move by becoming the second Slam to guarantee a 50-50 breakdown between the WTA and ATP in 2001.
"This 16% increase demonstrates our commitment to supporting tennis careers at every level," said Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley in the governing body's Tuesday announcement. "From boosting qualifying prize money by 55% since 2023 to enhancing player benefits, we're ensuring professional tennis is sustainable for all competitors."
"This investment strengthens tennis's foundation, ensuring the sport's long-term health and commercial growth," added Tiley. "By supporting players at all levels, we're building deeper talent pools and more compelling storylines for fans."
How to watch the 2026 Australian Open
US star and world No. 7 Madison Keys will look to defend her trophy when the main draw of the 2026 Australian Open kicks off at 7 PM ET on Saturday, January 17th.
Live coverage of the season's first Slam will air across ESPN platforms.
The world's tennis stars are preparing to open 2026 play in Australia this weekend, with top WTA and ATP leaders on Team USA gearing up to defend their United Cup title starting this Friday.
The two-time champion US enters as the No. 1 seed in the fourth edition of the hard-court tournament, bolstered by the return of world No. 3 Coco Gauff to lead Team USA's six-player United Cup contingent.
With each tournament bout consisting of one WTA singles match, one ATP singles clash, and one mixed-doubles competition, Gauff notably claimed a straight-sets victory over Polish phenom No. 2 Iga Świątek to secure the 2025 title for the US.
"I'm super excited," the 21-year-old star said prior to this year's United Cup. "I had such a good time in my first year playing with the team, and I'm looking forward to going back."
With the 2026 Australian Open beginning in less than two weeks, the United Cup pits 18 national teams against each other as players from both the women's and men's tours tune up for next year's Slams.
Fellow WTA Top-10 stars Świątek and Italy's No. 8 Jasmine Paolini will join Gauff on the 2026 United Cup court, while fan favorite No. 16 Naomi Osaka will feature for tournament debutant Japan.
Also battling for national pride will be two winners of last season's WTA awards, with 2025 Newcomer of the Year No. 18 Vicky Mboko joining Team Canada and 2025 Comeback Player of the Year No. 11 Belinda Bencic competing for Switzerland.
How to watch the 2026 United Cup
The 2026 United Cup runs January 2nd through 11th, with live coverage airing on the Tennis Channel.
WTA star Aryna Sabalenka suffered a blow on Sunday, as the world No. 1 fell to Australian ATP player Nick Kyrgios in straight sets at the sold-out "Battle of the Sexes" showdown in Dubai.
"I made a lot of great shots, moved a lot to the net," Sabalenka said following the 6-3, 6-3 loss. "I really enjoyed the show and I feel like the next time when I play him, I already know the tactics — I know his strengths, his weaknesses, and it's going to be a better match for sure."
"Seeing someone as great as Aryna out here, and myself, it truly is a spectacle," added world No. 671 Kyrgios. "I think this is a great moving stepping stone forward for the sport of tennis."
Designed to mirror 1973's iconic "Battle of the Sexes" bout between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, Sunday's matchup received some criticism, stirring up fears it could exacerbate stereotypes surrounding men's and women's tennis.
"The only similarity is that one is a boy and one is a girl. That's it," King told BBC Sport ahead of the event. "Everything else, no. Ours was about social change; culturally, where we were in 1973. Mine was really political. I knew I had to beat him for societal change. I had a lot of reasons to win."
World No. 1 tennis star Aryna Sabalenka is back in the headlines, agreeing to feature in a "Battle of the Sexes" exhibition match against No. 652-ranked ATP player Nick Kyrgios next month.
Taking advantage of a quiet period in the tennis calendar, the pair's showdown will take place at the 17,000-seat Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on Sunday, December 28th.
"I genuinely think that I'm going to win," said Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion and the reigning two-time US Open winner. "I'll definitely go out there and I'll try my best to kick his ass."
The upcoming "Battle of the Sexes" match is organized by Evolve, the agency co-founded by fellow tennis phenom Naomi Osaka, which counts both Sabalenka and Kyrgios as clients.
"This is about respect, rivalry, and re-imaging what equality in sport can look like," Evolve co-founder Stuart Duguid told BBC Sport on Tuesday.
The exhibition's concept mirrors the 1973 world-famous "Battle of the Sexes" match between tennis legend Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs — with King emphatically winning the bout in straight sets.
As for December's iteration, the match will be a best-of-three affair with a 10-point tiebreak, with 2022 Wimbledon runner-up Kyrgios serving toward a slightly smaller court and both participants restricted to one serve each.
"I have so much respect for Billie Jean King and what she has done for the women's game," Sabalenka continued. "I'm proud to represent women's tennis and to be part of this modern take of the iconic Battle of the Sexes."