This Thursday, the Australian Open board, for the tournament held annually in Melbourne, made public the prize money of this new edition of the tournament that will start on 16 January 2023, and there were surprises. Although the final prize money increased by 3.4%, this was not enough to compensate for the fall of the Australian dollar, the increase of the US dollar and the country’s tax policy, which resulted in a lower amount for players than for other big events.
The treasury allocated for the entire Australian tennis season is 100 million Australian dollars, spread over all the tournaments scheduled in January, including the new entry United Cup.
Australian Open 2023 final prize money is shocking
Tournament CEO Craig Tiley said: “It is critical to the continued rise of the Australian Summer of Tennis to provide relevant and relevant playing opportunities and to ensure that the best players in the world are adequately rewarded.
We want to make sure Australia is the springboard for the global season. They inspire us all to participate in this great sport, as well as inspire future generations. At the Australian Open, we increase the prize pool for every round, from qualifying to the final, with the largest increases in the early rounds, where these substantial rewards help players invest in their careers and, in many cases, establish themselves for success throughout the game.”
This way of distributing the prize pool considerably favors the majority of players who fall into the qualifying phase or in the first rounds of the draw. Players who exceed $180,000 will face a steep reduction. The winners, for example, will receive AUD 2,975,000, i.e.
approximately USD 2 million, which together with the tax policy, will result in a significant reduction in the prize. Paradoxically, winning Masters 1000 or WTA 1000 events such as Indian Wells, Madrid or Rome will guarantee a higher income for tennis players.
In the meantime, the Australian tennis season has officially begun. Tonight the United Cup made its absolute debut, a brand new event for nations that will unite men and women and will be held in three different Australian cities (Brisbane, Perth and Sydney) going to replace the ATP Cup.
The first of a long series of events on the oceanic continent, which will end with the most awaited and prestigious tournament, the 2023 edition of the Australian Open.
Given the current AUD/USD exchange rate, that’s 2 million in proper dollars for champions — before 45% tax on earnings exceeding AUD 180K.
The winners of Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, ATP Rome and, if they are held, ATP Shanghai and WTA Beijing will earn more than AO finalists.pic.twitter.com/zgzES5G2Ko — Oleg S. (@AnnaK_4ever) December 29, 2022
