Tennis' final grand slam of 2026 is nearing its conclusion, with No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka taking on No. 2 Elena Rybakina in the women's final of the U.S. Open on Saturday and top-ranked Alexander Zverev facing American Ben Shelton to determine a men's champion on Sunday. And in both matchups, some record-setting money is on the line.
The U.S. Open has seen a financial explosion in recent years, as the tournament becomes as much a luxury experience as a viewing one. As you might expect from a tournament with its own step and repeat for celebrities taking in night matches on Arthur Ashe, there's a whole lot of cash in the pot —$108 million across all competitions, to be exact, the richest in the history of the sport.
How much of that will go to the winners on Saturday and Sunday? We've got the full breakdown.
U.S. Open winner's prize money and total purse for 2026
Thanks to years of activist work, particularly on the part of former champion Billie Jean King, the U.S. Open became the first sporting event in the country to guarantee equal pay between both men and women. That means that both singles champions this weekend will see the same prize money: $5.5 million, tops of any tournament and a substantial bump from 2025.
The total purse of $108 million is also the highest on tour, and is a 20-percent increase from last year's number. The U.S. Open has turned Flushing into a destination, a place to see and be seen and maybe drink a Honey Deuce or three, and that transformation is boosting players' bottom lines.
U.S. Open payout distribution by round
Finishing position | U.S. Open prize money |
|---|---|
Champion | $5.5 million |
Finalist | $2.8 million |
Semifinalist | $1.45 million |
Quaterfinalist | $780,000 |
Round of 16 | $480,000 |
Round of 32 | $290,000 |
Round of 64 | $190,000 |
Round of 128 | $140,000 |
That includes even the non-champions, of course, as payouts are awarded to players based on the round that their run finished in. In singles, even making the main draw still nets players $140,000, while the runner-up and both semifinalists crack seven figures themselves.
In addition to these payouts, those who competed in qualifying also receive additional prize money as well, which breaks down as so:
- First-round qualifying: $32,000
- Second-round qualifying: $48,000
- Third-round qualifying: $66,000
U.S. Open payout distribution by round for doubles
Finishing position | U.S. Open prize money |
|---|---|
Champion | $1 million |
Finalist | $500,000 |
Semifinalist | $250,000 |
Quaterfinalist | $125,000 |
Third Round | $80,000 |
Second Round | $50,000 |
First Round | $35,000 |
Most tennis fans are aware of the simple fact that doubles, even in a grand Ssam, aren't as profitable as singles, and the payout distribution for doubles at the U.S. Open certainly bears that out. The winners of the men's and women's doubles tournaments barely crack seven figures, though there are still significant prize monies for teams who can make a pretty deep run.
U.S. Open payout distribution by round for mixed doubles
Finishing position | U.S. Open prize money |
|---|---|
Champion | $1 million |
Finalist | $500,000 |
Semifinalist | $250,000 |
Quaterfinalist | $120,000 |
Third Round | $40,000 |
Second Round | $20,000 |
First Round | $10,000 |
In most tournaments, mixed doubles gets the short straw in terms of payouts. But the U.S. Open is relatively unique in that it treats mixed doubles about the same as men's and women's doubles, with the only difference coming in the early rounds. All the money swimming around Flushing these days is truly a rising tide that's lifting all boats, and it shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
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