In all, 49,133,761 million euros will be divided to the players in the Australian Open, which began Friday night. This represents a new high and a three percent gain over 2022.
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| Australian Open 2023 prize money |
Only the US Open is more forgiving. The singles (m/f) laureates will each get a cheque for about 1.8 million euros, while the losing finalist will receive a million euros. Even if they fail in the first round, they will still get 68,000 euros. And if Elise Mertens and her doubles partner Storm Hunter get it all the way to the finals, they might split 447,000 euros.
The two consecutive years, in which the number of spectators was decreased to 50% in 2022 and 30% in 2021, are responsible for the 'only' three percent rise in overall prize money. With the stands once again filled, premiums are likely to rise more sharply in a year.
Alison Van Uytvanck (WTA 70) was the only Belgian woman (m/f) to compete on the first day of the Australian Open yesterday night, but she, like the three other Belgian ladies, including two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova (WTA 16), confronts a difficult opponent right away.
Last night at Rod Laver Arena, Rafael Nadal (ATP 2) met Jack Draper (ATP 38). The 36-year-old Spaniard won only one of his seven matches after the US Open in early September. He started the year with two United Cup losses, while Draper reached the semi-finals against Adelaide last week. This will most likely be Nadal's final return to Melbourne, where he won his 21st major after months of injury twelve months ago.