Players competing in this year's US Open have been given £2,583 ($3,500) worth of vouchers, on top of their prize money cheques. Last week, tournament organisers announced a 20 per cent increase to the total prize pot, bringing it to £79.7million ($108million).
Singles champions will bank £4m ($5.5m), while even those who lose in the first round of the main draw take home £103k ($140k). The US Open has also thrown in an extra gift for those competing in Flushing Meadows, including lower-ranked players in the qualifying draws who may often struggle to cover costs like accommodation.
Vouchers revealed on social media
The US Open shared a video on social media revealing that they gave out a £1,845 ($2,500) Uber voucher, plus £738 ($1,000) on an American Express card, to competitors. Qualifying players who received the bonus were blown away.
British world No. 104 Francesca Jones was so surprised that her reaction had to be beeped out in the footage. “Yeah, don’t put that on camera!” she then joked. After receiving the vouchers, fellow Brit Liam Broady said: “And Uber Eats? That’s clutch.” Heather Watson told player services: “Everybody’s been talking about it.”
Part of player compensation initiative
Craig Tiley, who recently became CEO of the United States Tennis Association after leaving Tennis Australia, explained that the vouchers were part of an overall player compensation initiative. Tiley confirmed that the USTA had boosted this year's prize money pot and given players an additional £1.48m ($2m) for welfare initiatives.
“Then on top of it, we've also added additional player gift of an Uber voucher of $2,500 and an American Express card with $1,000 credit on it. So we're giving them additional things on top of the total compensation,” he added. The 65-year-old was previously the Australian Open tournament director and is bringing his player-focused lens to the US Open. “We pushed the player compensation package at the Australian Open. The same thing has happened here and will continue to happen at the USTA,” he added.
Players push for better pay
Top players, including Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, and Coco Gauff, have been pushing the Grand Slams for better pay and a greater say in decision making this year. They took action at Roland Garros and Wimbledon by limiting some media commitments.
The player cohort has asked for 16 per cent of tournament revenue as prize money this year, increasing to 22 per cent by 2030 – in line with prize money at joint ATP and WTA 1000 events. They also want the Grand Slams to contribute to welfare schemes and a seat at the table in decisions that affect them.
The group welcomed the increase in prize money at this year's US Open, though the tournament's 2025 financial accounts have not yet been published, so it is not yet known whether they have hit the 16 per cent revenue figure. The four Grand Slams also recently announced a player council.
