Australian Open prize money 2026: what every round pays

The 2026 Australian Open paid a record A$111.5 million in prize money, and the women's and men's singles champions each received A$4,150,000. Tennis Australia announced the pool on 6 January 2026 as a 16 per cent increase on the A$96.5 million of 2025 and the largest rise in the tournament's history. Every figure on this page is in Australian dollars and identical for women and men.

How much does the Australian Open champion earn?

A$4.15 million, up 19 per cent on 2025. The runner-up takes A$2.15 million, up 13 per cent. A first-round loser in the main draw earns A$150,000, up 14 per cent, and a first-round loser in qualifying A$40,500, up 16 per cent. The table below follows the tournament's official announcement of 6 January 2026, which lists every singles and qualifying round with its change against 2025.

Tennis Australia's stated priorities were the two ends of the draw: qualifying rose 16 per cent, which the tournament called the biggest boost for players trying to break through, and the champion and runner-up received what it described as record increases. Every singles and doubles player was guaranteed at least 10 per cent more than in 2025. Craig Tiley, then Tennis Australia's chief executive, said the increase "demonstrates our commitment to supporting tennis careers at every level" and pointed out that qualifying prize money had risen 55 per cent since 2023.

Doubles

The official announcement gives no doubles table, only the 10 per cent minimum. The breakdown published by the ATP on 14 January 2026 lists A$900,000 per team for the men's and women's doubles champions, A$485,000 for the runners-up, A$275,000 for semi-finalists, A$158,000 for quarter-finalists, A$92,000 for the third round, A$64,000 for the second and A$44,000 for a first-round exit. Against the ATP's 2025 table, the champions' cheque rose from A$810,000, an increase of 11 per cent. No official mixed doubles table was published.

Beyond prize money

The pool is part of what Tennis Australia describes as a A$135 million investment across its summer of tennis. The announcement also lists expanded player support, including travel assistance up 67 per cent and welfare initiatives, without publishing figures for either.

Prize money and ranking points

Money and points follow different curves. A Grand Slam title is worth 2,000 ATP ranking points, the maximum for any tournament, according to the ATP's points breakdown: 1,300 for the finalist, 800 for a semi-final, 400 for a quarter-final, 200 for the fourth round, 100 for the third, 50 for the second and 10 for a first-round loss. A qualifier who comes through the three qualifying rounds collects 30 points before the main draw begins. In money terms, a first-round loser earns 3.6 per cent of the champion's cheque; in points, 0.5 per cent. An undefeated champion at the ATP Finals earns 1,500 points, a Masters 1000 winner 1,000.

What the champion keeps

The cheque is gross. The Australian Taxation Office requires payers to withhold from payments to foreign residents for sports activities in Australia, including payments to individual players, and lists prizes among the payments covered, according to its guidance on foreign resident withholding. For an individual foreign resident the payer withholds at the foreign resident income tax rates; the ATO can vary the rate, down to nil, where it is satisfied the player will have little or no Australian tax to pay. Coaching, travel and accommodation come out of the same gross figure. No official source publishes what a typical player nets, so this page does not estimate it.

The other majors

In its own currency the Australian Open's pool is the largest of the four Grand Slam tournaments; in the champions' cheques it sits behind the US Open. The US Open pays $108 million with $5.5 million to each singles champion, Wimbledon £64.2 million with £3.6 million, and Roland-Garros €61.723 million with €2.8 million. The currencies differ, and this page does not convert them.

Our tournament page for the Australian Open carries the pool and the champion's cheque alongside the roll of honour.

This page is refreshed when Tennis Australia announces the prize money for the 2027 Australian Open.