The 2026 Australian Open is right around the corner, as players finish up their pre-tournament preparations.
In 2025, Madison Keys won her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
On the men’s side, Jannik Sinner defended his Australian Open title, beating Alexander Zverev in the final.
Both players will be hoping for more of the same in 2026, but how much money will they take home with a win?
Australian Open winners will take home £2.05 million in 2026
There will be a total prize pot of A$11.5 million up for grabs at this year’s Australian Open.
The men’s and women’s singles champions will earn $4.15 million (£2.05 million).
Announcing the prize money increase, tournament director Craig Tiley shared the following statement.
“This 16 per cent increase demonstrates our commitment to supporting tennis careers at every level,”
“From boosting qualifying prize money by 55 per cent since 2023 to enhancing player benefits, we’re ensuring professional tennis is sustainable for all competitors.”
However, while on the face of it the prize money increase looks positive, some don’t think it’s enough.
As reported by BBC Sport, a source close to the players’ group believes they are ‘likely to be disappointed’.
Throughout 2025, the biggest names in men’s and women’s tennis pushed for a greater revenue share from the four Grand Slam tournaments.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff, who has earned over $29 million so far in her career, said this during a press conference at the 2025 China Open.
“I think for me personally, I think for the long run of our sport, the whole ecosystem, I think it’s really important,” she said.
“As we know in this sport, the Grand Slams are generating the most revenue, at least the stats and the percentages they gave me. When you look at the percentage of that revenue going to prize money, it is not the same as the WTA and ATP, even though they’re generating less revenue than the Slams.
“Sometimes people are focused on just the prize money. We’re not talking about just raising the prize money for the champion, but trickling all the way down to qualies.
“Our 200th best player, 300th best player are struggling to make ends meet. In other leagues, it’s not that common, especially with the revenue that tennis is generating.”
There’s clearly a demand for more prize money, but the top stars on the ATP and WTA Tours won’t want to distract themselves with that much longer.
Gauff, Sinner, Keys, and others are all in the hunt to win the title Down Under, but who are the favorites?
The favorites to win the Australian Open
Defending champion Sinner is undoubtedly the favorite to win the men’s tournament in 2026.
He hasn’t lost in Melbourne in over 1,081 days, and never fails to impress on hard courts.
The Italian will likely be tested by his great rival Carlos Alcaraz, but if he plays his best tennis, he should retain the title without too much trouble.
While it would be great to see, it’s hard to imagine Keys defending the women’s title…
Last year’s runner-up, Sabalenka, will be determined to get her hands back on the trophy, and looks well-placed to do so.
Having won the US Open at the end of 2025, Sabalenka will want to pick up her fifth Grand Slam title when she returns to Rod Laver Arena.
Only time will tell who will emerge victorious at the Australian Open, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action when the tournament begins on Sunday, January 18.
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