The US Open has responded to possible player pay protests by awarding another record purse.
The 2026 US Open will offer $108 million in total player compensation, a 20% increase from $90 million last year, the USTA announced Thursday. The men’s and women’s singles winners will take home $5.5 million, up from last year’s record $5 million prize.
The announcement comes amid the prospect of protests by players following a coordinated media protest conducted by top men’s and women’s players at Roland-Garros in May.
For years, players have been asking for an increase in the share of total revenue Grand Slams bring in. Players typically receive about 15% of revenue share at Grand Slam events, and are seeking 22% by 2030.
It’s unclear how much the $108 million player compensation compares to the 2026 projected revenue of the US Open. The 2026 prize represents 19.3% of the $559.7 million operating revenue in 2024, the latest publicly available number. (The prize pool is less than total player compensation, which includes additional support provided to players for out-of-pocket expenses. That amount was $5 million in 2025, though the tour did not announce that figure this year.)
