The US Open will distribute a record $108m in total compensation this year, becoming the first tennis tournament to surpass the $100m threshold. The 20 percent increase, announced Thursday by the US Tennis Association, raises singles champions' payouts to $5.5m apiece, the highest in grand slam history.
The financial escalation follows nearly 18 months of friction between the four majors and leading players demanding a greater share of tournament revenues. The slams will establish a formal Player Advisory Council operational after the tournament, giving competitors a structured voice. Top players had withdrawn from some media duties at the French Open in May and a Wimbledon boycott was narrowly averted.
USTA CEO Craig Tiley called the move a "significant first step" in athlete investment. The tournament begins on 30 August.