Wimbledon authorities has increased the 2018 Wimbledon Prize Money to £34 million, an £2.4m increase compared to last year’s £31.6m thats a whooping 7.6% increase in overall prize money purse for this year’s event. This is the 7th year in a row that Wimbledon has increase the prize money and the trend is set to continue to make sure Wimbledon stays the most lucrative tennis grand slam in the world. Winners of 2018 Wimbledon singles titles will pocket record £2.25 million each. Below is the entire breakdown of Wimbledon prize money pool.
Wimbledon 2018 got yet another 7.6% percent increase in total prize money pool taking total fund to record breaking £34 million ($45.5) just $5m short of US Open’s $50m purse, keeping US Open the most lucrative tennis grand slam for players.
Wimbledon 2018 Prize Money Hike: Wimbledon 2018 got another increase in total prize money fund taking the total to massive £34 million ($45.5m). However Wimbledon will not the be the most lucrative grand slam in the year as GBP has been been hit hard since brexit and US Open will stay highest paying tennis grand slam for third year in a row. This year’s increase follows 7.6% increase in 2015 and another 5% increase in 2016, 5% increase in 2017 took total fund to £31.6m. This year another £2.6m is added to the prize money fund taking the total of £34m.
The largest chunk of the prize money pool will go to mens and women singles event where around £26m will be distributed among players from qualifying to the eventual winners. while the rest £8m will used to compensate players in other events like doubles/mixed doubles. doubles event got 12.5% increase in prize money while 25% increase in women/men wheelchair events.
[ Here is the complete breakdown of the entire Wimbledon 2018 Prize money pool, each category has a total purse which is distributed among players starting from the first round losers ]
| STAGES | Mens Singles | Women Singls | Mens Doubles | Women Doubles | Mixed Doubles | Legends Events | Wheelchair |
| Winners | £2.25m | £2.25m | £450,000 | £450,000 | £110,000 | £26,000 | £40,000 |
| Runnersup | £1.125m | £1.125m | £225,000 | £225,000 | £55,000 | £22,000 | £20,000 |
| Semi-Finalists | £562,000 | £562,000 | £112,000 | £112,000 | £27,500 | £19,000 | £13,000 |
| Quarter-Finalists | £281,000 | £281,000 | £56,000 | £56,000 | £13,500 | £19,000 | £8,500 |
| 4th Round | £163,000 | £163,000 | £29,000 | £29,000 | £6,500 | £19,000 | |
| 3rd Round | £100,000 | £100,000 | £17,500 | £17,500 | £3,250 | ||
| 2nd Round | £63,000 | £63,000 | £11,500 | £11,500 | £1,625 | ||
| 1st Round | £39,000 | £39,000 | |||||
| TOTAL | £13m | £13m | £2.1m | £2.1m | £405,000 | £468,000 | £240,000 |
History of Wimbledon Prize Money:
One of the oldest grand slam in the world, Wimbledon Championship has been played professional since 1968 and it has recorded prize money history. Back in 1986 the total prize money pool for wimbledon championship was as little as £26,150 where the winners of singles mens and women event took home £2,000 each while runners up got a mere £800 for singles event. Since than total prize money pool has been increasing ever year and in 1984 it hit the million mark for the first time when a total of 1,46 million awarded in prize money.
We take a short look at prize money pool history of wimbledon and the rapid increase in prize money to winners and runners ups of singles events.
Sports figures are not valued by their efforts. A marathon winner gets the same gold medal as the 100m sprint champion.
they are valued by their ticket sales.
it’s a Joke, Basically we’re telling the Male players get ranked in the 100 in the world and you’re Guaranteed at least 45,000 win or lose injured or not in first round at Wimbledon and majors.
Why is that a joke?
It takes a hell of a lot of work and talent to qualify for the first round of a major.
If it’s so easy, why aren’t you in there?
Rules should stipulate, if someone retire in the first round, their price money would go to a charity.
It is a joke that several players withdrew after a set in the first round and still get 35,000 pounds price money. Qualifiers had to win 3 matches in a week to get in the first round. For the spectators, sponsors and for the sports, is better to see a qualifier, than someone who is injured and come only to collect price money.
35.000 pound’s for Kližan, Tipsarević, Dolgopolov…??? And what about the crisis ???…I can not understand this…
If a doctor says you are not medically fit to play you do not play!!!!!!!
Pathetic. It is silly money for pursuing a hobby.
It is a hobby with lots of revenue generated from broadcasting, advertising, ticket sales, … Of course, the players should make money representative of the revenue. The players are incredible athletes and for the most part, wonderful people. I am happy to support the game through my voluntary transactions.
It’s so a disgrace that much money for playing a game they love and all the hunger and poverty in the world
Hunger and poverty are terrible things but tennis is just one sport. All sports (professional) pay a huge amount of money to the athletes. Especially golf! On the PGA Tour in America, the winner gets more than a million dollars! In tennis, that amount can be won in only the grand slams and about 9 Masters tournaments which pay less than a million, I believe about half of that. As long as society supports these sports by watching on tv, paying at the gate,etc then nothing will change! Thankfully a lot of the superstars of some sports donate their time and money to charity events(as well as the sponsors).
It’s their job, they are professionals, hard work and early retirement, not to mention the jobs they generate….
One question I want to ask is when they decide that it was sexist that women should be paid the same prize money as men ,why is it not sexist that men have to play five sets to women’s three
Just a thought?
I do agree with you, although men & women have received the same prize money since 2007. I have never understood how this came about & I’m sure that it created a lot of controversy amongst the male players. I’m all for equality but this isn’t it.
Totally agree!!
Absolutely, I’ve been watching tennis for years, its a great sport, and how good would it be to watch the girls play a 5 set. It would be amazing.
I agree why do men and women double winners pocket 400,000 and mixed double winners only get 150,000 ?
It would be so nice if somebody took a few minutes to proof read their articles. Above it states that in 1986 prize money was £26,150. Surely that should have read 1968.
Why do the Wimbledon organisers not require certificates of fitness to play a full match prior to the draws to avoid wasted prize monies been paid to persons who are been paid for failing to carry out their full contracts obligations. Either players know they are unfit prior to the match and should withdraw or they are fit to play a full match, if they stand on the court they are saying they are fit to play. I consider this is preventing fully fit players the opportunity to experience playing at Wimbleton where unfairly a unfit player is depriving other players and spectators of value for money as ticket prices are not cheap. Surely this amount to breach of contract not to play a full match and been paid full monies for part performance? This needs a review to ensure contract compliance of players and value for money all round for spectators. It is not just a hard Brexit it should be a hard Wimbleton next year!
You got a valid point there!!
Just found this – Women should never win the same money until they play five sets, a
Is there another professional sport where you can receive a medical time out during a match. No tiebreaker in a fifth set at Wimbledon can turn out to be a disadvantage for the winner….Isner, Muller. Muller lost 6-1 in fifth set to Cilic after winning 15-13 fifth set against Nadal…..was he a bit tired?
Allow a top 100 player to receive first round money and withdraw, allowing next in line qualifier a chance to play….figure out how to compensate them.
Five set matches are a strain and shorten players careers, not to mention increased injuries and withdrawals. Perhaps the number of withdrawals can be regulated per season….then penalties. Please start considering your #1 customer, FANS……not the highly paid and pampered players.
As one tennis player just said the other day in his post match interview (Sam Q) the grass at Wimbledon is not as hard on the body as the hard or clay courts, and Federer pointed out most points played are short. Only the grand slams are best of five sets, only 4 times a year! The other tournaments were all shortened from best of five including even the 9 Masters tournaments. Most tennis fans myself included want best of 5 for only the Grand Slams! If not, so many exciting matches would have never been played at SW19! Among them my fave match at Wimbledon, the 2008 Men’s Final, considered by many as the greatest match in the history of tennis! If it was as you wish, Nadal would have won in 2 straight sets and that match would never have existed(best ever)!
Spencer Sander- How are male tennis players “pampered’, as you call them, when they play best of 5 sets at Wimbledon! You said listen to you and the fans and not the pampered players! By reducing the amount of work to best of 3 sets, most including myself, would consider that pampering! So if we listen to you the so called pampered players will be even more pampered!
Just one more thing to add to the comment from Spencer Sander. He makes valid points but perhaps just make the latter rounds or the final be best of 5 sets?
I have no issues with women paid the same as men but in the majors they should be made to play the best of 5 sets – after all it’s only in the majors that men play the best of 5 sets. If they aren’t fit enough then drop their prize money accordingly – I’m sure ticket prices are the same whether for a gents or ladies match
Of course!
Why do mixed doubles receive substantially less than men’s doubles and women’s doubles ??
Very unfair, as winning mixed doubles only receive £50000 each !!!!!
Come on Wimbledon…justify the disparity between men/womens doubles and mixed doubles prize money.
If s player retires during a match they should receive a percentage of the prize money. At grand slams when men might have to play five sets the prize money should be higher than womens.
No player should receive medical time outs during sets. Mixed doubles pay should be reviewed to the same level of ladies doubles, men’s doubles pay should be higher due to having to play five sets.
I am all for women getting the same pay as men but when it comes to 5 sets consider this. Women’s matches have MANY long rallies. If you want women to play 5 sets you would have to add another week to the championships and having women play 4 and 5 hour matches…how many more injuries and how will the quality of women’s tennis suffer when exhausted players can’t even chase down shots? It’s not sexist to understand that men are the stronger gender. Serena Williams would have trouble even scoring against the top 50 males.
How do Wimbledon justify paying the winners of wheelchair tennis singles a measly £35,00 when the runners up for mixed doubles get £50,00?
Surely they should be equal to at least the mixed doubles as they play the same number of sets?
I’m amazed that the equal opportunities board haven’t been all over this like a rash.
I just think that two and quarter million for the winners is a utterly obscene , now to get my goat the men play over 5 sets the women possible just two sets and GET THE SAME MONEY now tell me about EQUALITY FOR ME IT’S A LOAD OF BALLS.
Why do wheelchair tennis players receive such a small amount of prize money but provide watchable entertaining tennis.
Should not the mixed doubles players receive the same as men’s and women’s doubles .Doesnt seem fair
The huge increase in prize money (more than doubled) since 2011 is totally unjustified as inflation in the UK is not 100%! It should continue with a small but steady increase as in previous years. One million for the winners sounds more than enough!
The other Grand Slams keep increasing their prize money so Wimbledon wants to keep pace! Part of what makes Wimbledon the most special is the prize money, if it becomes lower than the others then some will view the tourney as being inferior. The athletes deserve the money as other sports pay a lot as well! In football in America or hockey, basketball the superstars receive tens of millions of dollars per season. We should be pressuring Wimbledon to keep the gate prices low or keep the costs to attend the event reasonable for the average working person.
Wheelchair ladies doubles £12000 ,ordinary ladies doubles £400000 ,something is not right
Bottom line,most viewers do not want to watch or care about them!