What are the details and significance of the 2026 US Open’s record $108 million total player-compensation purse—including the 20% year-over-year increase, $5.5 million prizes for both men’s and women’s singles champions, $140,000 first-round payments, and the pressure from player

The 2026 US Open is responding to an unusually coordinated player push for a larger share of Grand Slam economics with record payments and a new consultative structure—but the moves do not by themselves settle the underlying revenue-sharing dispute. The event begins with qualifying on August 25 and singles main-draw play on August 30.

• Compensation: The USTA’s $108 million total player-compensation commitment is 20% above 2025’s $90 million and 44% above 2024. It comprises $101 million in tournament prize money plus $2 million for the new Player Support Program, with other compensation elements accounting for the remainder.

• Payouts: Each singles champion—woman and man—will earn a Grand Slam-record $5.5 million. Singles players who lose in the first round will receive $140,000; the distribution was increased across rounds and competitions, rather than concentrating the entire rise at the top.

• Player-support initiative: The $2 million U.S. Open Player Support Program is intended to help players navigate mid-career needs and the transition out of professional tennis, a recognition that financial insecurity is especially acute below the sport’s elite tier.