Wimbledon announced a record 20 per cent rise in prize money to £64.2m among players claiming the Grand Slam. tennis news

Wimbledon has announced a record 20 percent increase in total prize money for 2026 amid player demands for a bigger share of the revenue at the Grand Slam tournament.

The total prize money will be £64.2m, described as the biggest annual increase in the tournament’s history.

The singles champions will earn £3.6m at the grass-court Grand Slam next month – up 20 per cent on last year. The players held a brief press conference at the recent French Open in Paris, threatening future boycotts.

“I hope the players will welcome it. It’s a significant amount of money,” All England Club chair Deborah Jevans told a news conference.

“We’ve proven that we’ve looked at every round, including qualifying. My hope is that the players will understand what a significant increase this is.”

First-round losers will receive £80,000, compared with £66,000 in 2025.

The AELTC also announced that the total prize money for qualifying draws will be £6.2m, an increase of 25 per cent.

Players have long called for a larger share of the revenue from the four Grand Slams and have recently begun to take steps toward collective action.

For this year’s Wimbledon, the players have advocated for a total prize money of £71m, Jevans said, citing his recent talks in Paris with former WTA CEO Larry Scott, who has been advising the players.

Ahead of the French Open, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka said the players should organize a boycott at some point if their demands are not met. Men’s No. 1 Janic Sinner, Coco Gough and others also spoke.

At Roland Garros, the top-10 players limited their press conferences with reporters to 15 minutes in symbolic protest of their share of tournament revenue.

Just over a year ago, 20 leading players signed a letter to the heads of the four Grand Slams asking for more prize money and a greater voice in decision-making.

Wimbledon, the oldest Grand Slam tournament, begins on June 29 Iga Suatek is the defending women’s champion, while Janic Sinar is the defending men’s champion

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