Tennis players have spent years arguing that they deserve a bigger cut of the sport's money. With the 2026 US Open, they are getting it.
The United States Tennis Association announced the numbers on Thursday, August 20, 2026.
The total is 20% above last year's level, and the money flows through every round.
The tournament runs at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, the home of Arthur Ashe Stadium. The singles main draw, the main tournament bracket, starts Sunday, Aug. 30.
The tennis center sits in Queens, the same borough where some longtime fans now worry about the cost of attending.
This pay raise did not come out of nowhere. The four Grand Slam tournaments and the players have been at odds for years, with players arguing that prize money has not kept up with the sport's financial growth.
They have also asked for better benefits and a stronger say in decisions about pay and player welfare.
Starting during the 2026 US Open, the four Grand Slams will set up a player advisory council. It will give players a voice on pay, governance, and decision-making at those tournaments.
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The USTA is also putting an initial $2 million into a support program for players dealing with mid-career transitions and retirement.
Half of that money goes to women's players and half to men's players.
While players get a record purse, the people watching are paying more too. This year's Open is on track to be one of its most lucrative editions, with ground passes that used to be cheap now often running into the triple digits.
A ground pass gets you into the tennis center, but not into the main stadiums.
During the initial sale, Ticketmaster listed some ground passes at a minimum of $65, according to the tournament's website.
A first-day ground pass cost $363, which caught the attention of billionaire investor Bill Ackman.
"The idea that a day-one ground pass is $363 is absurd," Ackman said Wednesday on X. "The USTA's mission is to promote the sport of tennis. How is a $363 ground pass consistent with this mission?"
Ackman follows tennis, but he is not the only one bothered. Some longtime fans in Queens, New York, say they fear being priced out of an event that increasingly seems aimed at wealthier spectators.
The USTA has promoted a free fan week before the Open for years, giving people a chance to watch qualifying and practice sessions. That tradition is still there, but the rising cost of the main event has some locals wondering if they can keep up.
The record purse is a sign of how much money tennis now generates. The sport is growing, the top players are earning more, and the tournaments are making more than ever.
What does this mean for you? If you are planning to go to the Open, the record purse and the ticket prices are two sides of the same story.
The tournament is making more money, the players are taking home more of it, and the cost of watching in person is climbing right along with it.
If you are staying home, you can watch the same matches without paying a cent.
But for the fans in Queens who helped build the tournament, the question of who the Open is really for is getting harder to answer.
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