Wimbledon is officially underway once more, and that means there is big money to be won at the All England Club.
Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek took home the biggest singles pay packets last year, as they each won their maiden grass-court Grand Slam titles on the hallowed south London turf.
Now, both players will be bidding to defend their crowns amid hefty competition in both the men’s and women’s draws.
Last year, Sinner and Swiatek earned £3million each from their triumphs, and those players that lost in the first round were paid out £66,000.
However, since then, players have staged a protest at the prize fund, limiting their pre-tournament media appearances to just 15 minutes to petition for a greater share of the revenue, as well as increased contributions to welfare benefits.
That protest was called off on day one of the Championships, with All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) CEO Sally Bolton telling reporters that “fruitful conversations” had been held between the tournament hierarchy and the players’ representative, Larry Scott.
Defending champion Sinner and women’s world No1 Aryna Sabalenka both conducted shorter pre-Wimbledon press conferences than usual, with Sinner insisting that while the protest was “not about the money”, the players as a collective were “not at the point where we are 100 per cent happy.”
What is the prize money for Wimbledon 2026?
As a result of the player protests and amid conversations between the All England Club and Scott, the Wimbledon prize fund this year has increased by 20 per cent, taking the total pot to £64.2m.
Prize money at Wimbledon is equal, with both the men’s and women’s singles champions set to earn a cool £3.6m, and the runners-up taking home £1.8m each.
It’s £900,000 for reaching the semi-finals, with £480,000 for those who are eliminated in the quarter-finals.
Getting to the fourth round is worth £300,000, while it’s £185,000 for a third-round appearance and £126,000 for making it through to round two.
Players who are ousted in the first round receive £80,000 this year.
The winners of the respective men’s and women’s doubles competitions will earn £760,000 between them, while it’s £148,000 for the mixed doubles champions - an increase of 10 per cent on 2025.
Bolton said that despite the rise in prize money, she had been left “surprised and disappointed that the players decided to take the action that they did” with regard to the media appearances.
She confirmed that further discussions with players would continue after the tournament, despite the protest being abandoned.
