French Open raises total prize money to $72.1 million
PARIS — Organizers announced on Thursday that the prize money for the French Open has risen by approximately 10%, bringing the total to 61.7 million euros ($72.1 million).
Competition is set to commence on May 24 at Roland Garros in western Paris.
The champions of the men’s and women’s singles will each receive 2.8 million euros ($3.25 million), while the runners-up will earn 1.4 million euros ($1.6 million). Semifinalists will take home 750,000 euros ($875,000), and those eliminated in the first round will receive 87,000 euros ($100,000).
The winners of the men’s and women’s doubles will receive 600,000 euros ($700,000), and the champions of the mixed doubles will earn 122,000 euros ($140,000).
Last year, Carlos Alcaraz made a remarkable comeback to defeat Jannik Sinner in a five-set final, while Coco Gauff claimed victory over Aryna Sabalenka for the women’s title.
For the first time, players will be allowed to use data-collecting wearable devices on the court to monitor their physical performance, as stated by tournament director Amelie Mauresmo on Thursday.
Mauresmo emphasized the significance of player privacy, a concern highlighted by Iga Swiatek and Gauff during this year’s Australian Open, where Gauff’s racket-smashing incident off the court gained widespread attention.
Swiatek expressed that the extensive camera coverage following players made them feel as if they were being observed like “animals in the zoo.”
While not directly referencing the Australian Open, Mauresmo asserted that tennis should “uphold respect for privacy” and provide a private area.
“Players require a private space, which will remain unchanged,” she stated. “No camera access (there).”
The French Open also remains steadfast in its use of human line judges, in contrast to the electronic line-calling systems adopted by Wimbledon and most major tennis events.
“They are not 100% reliable,” Mauresmo remarked, “but our decision was to adhere to our approach.”
Nonetheless, Mauresmo expressed openness to the idea of women competing in five-set matches, similar to their male counterparts.
“You can’t instantly change a format from best of three to best of five. But if we consider it, would it apply only to the semifinal, the final, or all matches?” the former Wimbledon champion inquired. “This could be a mutually beneficial situation, but we need to discuss this with the women players.”
Mauresmo was also questioned about the scheduling of evening matches following a shortage of women’s matches during last year’s night sessions.
“We will address scheduling when the time arrives,” she said, refraining from providing specifics. “Nothing is finalized, and nothing is set in stone; it depends on the draws and the lineups.”
Source: espn.com
