U.S. Open raises prize pool roughly 20 percent, offering record winnings in 2026

With star players openly threatening a boycott of the mixed doubles tournament, the U.S. Open has decided to raise its prize pool in 2026. The singles winner of the 2026 U.S. Open will earn $5.5 million, a roughly 20 percent raise over previous years, the U.S. Tennis Association announced Thursday.

Overall compensation from the event will jump to $108 million, per the Associated Press. In addition to winners taking home $5.5 million, here’s how some of that money will be distributed:

Players will earn $140,000, largest in tennis history, just for making it into the 128-player singles main draw. A quarterfinalist earns $780,000, a semifinalist $1.45 million and the runner-up $2.8 million.

Last year, singles winners took home $5 million and the overall prize pool sat at $90 million for the event.

For doubles events in 2026, the winners will split $1 million. Runner-up teams will get $500,000. Wheelchair singles champions will take home $104,000, per the AP.

The prize purse increase comes amid threats from star players suggesting they would boycott the mixed doubles event at the 2026 U.S. Open unless more prize money was involved.

Last April, L’Equipe reported many of the top tennis players sent a joint letter to key members of each Grand Slam asking for more prize money and financial support for player-welfare programs, per Tennis.com.

The players who signed that letter represented some of the biggest names in the sport, including Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula — among the women. On the men’s side, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev were among the big names to also sign the document.

With that situation unresolved as the 2026 U.S. Open neared, threats of a boycott were amplified by some of those players. Leading up to the event, Pegula told Front Office Sports players were still waiting to see the U.S. Open prize pool before deciding whether to play in the mixed doubles event. When asked in August about her participation, Sabanlenka said “who knows?”

Prior to Thursday’s announcement, there were reports suggesting talks between the players and the U.S. Tennis Association had been positive, per The Athletic, so the higher purse might be enough to get star players back on board.

In addition to raising the prize pool, the U.S. Tennis Association also announced the formation of a new player council that can offer advise on Grand Slams. That was well-received by Ben Shelton, who said it was something tennis players “have wanted for some time.”

The 2026 U.S. Open is set to begin with the mixed doubles event Tuesday, Aug. 25. If Shelton’s comments represent the norm among other players, it should be well-attended by some of the sport’s biggest stars.