Wimbledon’s increased prize pot may not appease players

This article appeared as part of the Daily Sensemaker newsletter – one story a day to make sense of the world. To receive it in your inbox, featuring content exclusive to the newsletter, sign up for free here.

Wimbledon has increased its prize money by 20%, taking the total prize pot to £64.2m. This is equal to 15% of the tournament's revenue and means singles champions will win £3.6m each, while first-round losers will pocket £80,000. The question is whether it will be enough to satisfy players who are demanding a 22% share of revenues at Grand Slam events by 2030. Some of the sport’s biggest names, including Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic, have threatened boycotts if the dispute is not resolved. It would make little difference to Sabalenka or Djokovic, whose career earnings are $49m and $193m respectively, if other tournaments do not increase their pots. But for lower-ranked players, paying for coaches, hotels and travel is a struggle.