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 WTA scored a major victory this week, entering into a multi-year partnership with luxury automaker Mercedes-Benz that has the potential to become the largest deal in women's sports history.
Mercedes-Benz signed on as the pro tennis association's premier partner on Wednesday, committing $50 million per year to the WTA for up to 10 years — a possible lifetime value of half a billion dollars.
What's more, the deal's intention is to help the WTA Tour reach its goal of achieving equal prize money across all men's and women's tournaments and standalone tennis competitions by 2031.
While the four Grand Slams already achieved equal purses nearly two decades ago, this week's partnership allowing the WTA to recommit to adopting that prize money parity across all its events.
The move also reflects the growing global investment in women's sports, building on the WTA's expiring four-year, $20 million-per-year contract with Hologic.
"From the day we founded the WTA, our mission was to ensure that every girl, every woman, could have a place to compete... and make a living playing the sport she loves," legend Billie Jean King said in a press release. "Seeing a global brand like Mercedes-Benz stand with us sends a message that echoes far beyond tennis. It says women's sport matters."