Kerber earned $2.93M as the women's singles champion at Wimbledon last yearGETTY IMAGES
Wimbledon organizers have "raised the prize money" to $49.42M (all figures U.S.) this year, an 11.8% increase from $44.22M in '18, according to Matt Majendie of the London EVENING STANDARD. The increase means the men’s and women’s singles champions this summer will each pocket $3.06M. Novak Djokovic and Angelique Kerber both earned $2.93M for their title wins in '18. The Wimbledon singles championship money exceeds the $2.59M that the French Open announced for this year’s singles winners at Roland Garros but "remains some way shy of the U.S. Open," which gave winners $3.89M in '18. Wimbledon is also raising singles prize money for "both qualifying and the first three rounds of the main draw" by over $13,000. It means prize money for a first-round loss "has risen" from just under $15,000 to over $58,500 in "just eight years" (STANDARD.co.uk, 4/30). Meanwhile, REUTERS' Martyn Herman notes Wimbledon "will not employ the ‘shot clock’" that was "used at this year’s Australian Open." However, Wimbledon CEO Richard Lewis said that it is "likely to be rolled out" at Wimbledon in '20 (REUTERS, 4/30).
For more on Wimbledon's plans around the '19 tournament, see today's issue of SBD Global.
