Singles players who exit in the first round of the main draw will earn A$90,000.
The prize pool for the 2020 Australian Open has been boosted by 14% to A$71 million ($49.1 million), organizers said on Tuesday, with the biggest gains for players exiting in the early rounds.
Top 10 Tennis Players of the world in the year 2018-2019
Players losing in the first round of qualifying at the year’s first Grand Slam will take home A$20,000, up by a third from last year, while singles players who exit in the first round of the main draw will earn A$90,000, a jump of 20%.
“We have long been committed to improving the pay and conditions for a deeper pool of international players,” tournament director Craig Tiley said in a statement.
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Players can usually secure a main draw appearance in the tournament, which starts on Jan. 20, by having a ranking in the top 100.
Naomi Osaka of Japan is the reigning women’s singles champion at the Australian Open while Djokovic claimed a record seventh title by defeating great rival Rafa Nadal in 2019 final.
In a report published last year, an International Review Panel commissioned to address betting-related and other integrity issues said that players in the lowest tiers were susceptible to being corrupted because of the difficulty of making a living, with only 250–350 players earning enough money to break even.
The International Tennis Federation last week announced a series of measures as part of its fight against corruption in the sport’s lower levels.
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