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How tennis tournaments raise their prestige with money

The organizers of the Australian Open once again raised the bar for prize money. sports.ru figured out how the world's leading tournaments are measured by wallets.
Australian Open.

Grand Slam Tournament
128 participants in a single bracket
AUD 40,000,000
In recent years, the organizers of the US Open and Australian Open have been reminiscent of poker players, taking turns increasing their prize funds: in the summer, the Americans increased their wallet to $ 38.3 million, and in October, the head of the Australian Open, Craig Tiley, announced his intention to bring the prize fund to 2016 by 2016. 40 million (Australian) dollars. Last week it turned out that the Azzies had already done everything for the 2015 tournament. As a result, the winners in the men's and women's divisions will receive $3.1 million each, and the losers in the first round will receive $34,500. It's hard to imagine that just eight years ago the total prize money was half that.

Australians should not show zhlobstvo, because this is one of the most developing tournaments on the planet, which in terms of audience coverage has long gone beyond the continent. In recent years, the organizers have focused on neighboring Asian countries, completely ignoring their claims to host their own major, and positioning their tournament as the Asia-Pacific (Grand Slam of Asia and Pacific). For example, the Australian Tennis Federation has been holding the annual AO Trophy Tour for the past four years in seven major cities in China, South Korea and Singapore. And another promotional feature was the Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs – a tournament among the best players in Asia (including couples), the winners of which receive invitations to the main draw of the Australian Open.
The Australians are approaching the new tournament with another trump card – to protect against heat and rain, the roof over the Margaret Court Arena has finally been completed. According to the organizers, there is no analogue of such a roof in the world – it can be transformed in just five minutes. It is very profitable when compared with Wimbledon, where it takes about half an hour to close the roof, adjust the ventilation system and stabilize conditions.

US Open
Grand Slam Tournament
128 participants in a single bracket
$38,300,000

It is not known whether the Australians intend to continue to grow their prize pool, but the Americans already have clear guidelines. The organizers of the US Open, which paid the winners of the men's and women's tournaments $3 million each in 2014, set themselves the goal of flaunting a figure that was quite recently unthinkable – $50 million by 2017. This is twice as much as at the US Open-2012.
The increase in the budget certainly contributes from year to year to the rising bar of tournament attendance, which has long exceeded 700,000 fans.But the main source of income is still television. It was Russian TV channels that ignored the final in the Brisbane tournament with their superstar Maria Sharapova – in the USA it is impossible to imagine that this would happen, play Serena Williams. In the States, tennis has been ranked higher than baseball in recent years and continues to rise, helped by signing an 11-year contract with ESPN. Beginning in 2015, the US Open and the rest of the American Series will move from CBS to cable networks for the first time since 1968. This will not only increase the coverage of major games to 130 hours, but will also help raise about $100 million annually.

Wimbledon
Grand Slam Tournament
128 participants in a single bracket
£25,000,000

Today, Wimbledon first-round losers receive £27,000 ($45,000), slightly more than the total prize money was in 1968, when cash prizes were first introduced. The single champions of the most prestigious tournament in the world receive less ($2.9 million) than the US Open and Australian Open, but the total prize pool is the largest in the world – 42 million. Compared to 2013, the amount of prize money increased by 10.8%, while the losers in the first round received 14.9% more.
“We are making a conscious effort to help players who need our help – those who are eliminated in qualifying and in the early rounds,” says Philip Brooke, head of the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

Roland Garros
Grand Slam Tournament
128 participants in a single bracket
25,000,000 euros

The French major is significantly behind its peers. In 2014, the organizers increased the prize fund by 3 million euros, but it still falls short of the highest standards – 25,018,900 euros. The winners of the women's and men's tournaments became richer by 1,650,000 euros, and the biggest increase was for those who were eliminated in the early stages – in comparison with 2013, they received 20% more.
“A significant increase in prize money at Roland Garros is part of our four-year plan,” explains tournament director Gilbert Isern. – It is designed primarily for those who do not pass the first week. By 2016, the prize fund is planned to be set at around 32 million euros, and by 2018, a roofed stadium will be built.”

Indian Wells
ATP Masters 1000 / WTA Premier
96 participants in a single bracket
$10,200,000

For the fifth year now, billionaire Larry Ellison has spared no expense in developing a tournament that is at least as good as any major in terms of infrastructure. Take at least from year to year the growing number of spectators – in 2014 the tournament was attended by 431,527 fans, which is more than the historical record of Rolland Garros.
The prize fund, of course, is not as huge as in the majors, but it is also worthy – $10.2 million. At the same time, there is a nuance: players do not sum up what they have earned passing round by round, but receive the amount for the round in which they lost.The winners of men's and women's tournaments receive the highest prize for ATP and WTA – $ 1 million.
It is curious that a few years ago, the ATP Council refused to increase the prize in the tournament in Indian Wells to avoid too much contrast with other Masters series tournaments, but Ellison ultimately achieved his own. True, it was not without consequences: last year the association adopted a plan for increasing the prize in their tournaments without the approval of their leadership, and not everyone, as you know, owns the rich people obsessed with the tennis.

Miami
ATP Masters 1000 / WTA Premier
96 participants in a single net
11,070,000 US dollars

The largest prize prizes for tournaments of the Masters category is still paid at the Miami Open tournament in Florida. In 2014, the premium once again increased and amounted to 11,076,510 dollars. The triumphs of male and female discharges received 787,000 each.
However, it is very likely that very soon IMG, which belongs to the rights to hold the tournament, will have to sell them. The fact is that, unlike the Tournament in Indian Wells, IMG land has to be rented, and its new owner turned out to be the founder of the “Save our parks” movement. Tennis is deep on his side, and he constantly imposes a veto on attempts by the tournament not only to expand, but even to improve the condition of the Crandon Park sports complex. Unable to develop, like competitors from Indian-Wells, the tournament in Miami risks losing its attractiveness.

Madrid
ATP Masters 1000 / WTA Premier
56 /48 participants in a single grid
7 900,000 euros

The head of the Madrid tournament, Ion Cyriak, once attracted attention to his brainchild with the help of blue soil, and in recent years he is trying to keep the brand with high prize. The general prize fund of the tournament, the first draw of which took place in 1990 in Stockholm, is now 7,907,830 euros.

Montreal and Toronto
ATP Masters 1000 / WTA Premier
56 participants in a single grid
4,200,000 dollars

As you know, the Canadian tournament is held simultaneously in two cities: according to even years, men play Toronto, and women in Montreal, and change places according to odd years. For 10 years now, the tournament has been sponsored by Rogers Communications, which will not skimp on a serious prize pool – $ 4,216,340.