The winners will receive £1.6m, an increase of £450,000 on last year’s prize.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC ) today announced a record breaking increase in their total prize money for the 2013 championships.
The winners of both men’s and women’s singles titles will receive £1.6m, an increase of £450,000 on last year’s prize.
There will also be increases in prize money of 40% for the last 16, 41% increase in qualifiers from rounds one to three and 62-64% increase in losers of the same rounds.
Philip Brook, AELTC Chairman, said “We wanted to demonstrate to all the players how much they are appreciated by Wimbledon.”
There is again an increase in money for an exit in the early rounds, a conscious initiative from the AELTC to support lower ranked competitors.
“The road to the top is a long road and indeed the road to the top is getting longer,” Mr Brook added.
“It’s a very expensive road on which to travel.”
The total prize money of £22.6m is £6.5m up on last year, the largest ever prize money increase in tennis.
Mr Brook justified the increases in the current financial crisis, citing the need to compete with other international tennis events.
The record winnings on offer have raised concerns about increases in ticket prices, something strenuously denied by Mr Brook.
“Fans won’t pay the price, absolutely not,” he said.
“This is an affordable increase in terms of our overall operations here.”
Chief Executive Richard Lewis said: “Today is a step change in the prize money.
“It isn’t necessarily going to be happening every year,” he added.
Photo courtesy of jay galvin, with thanks
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