… US Open prize money to reach record $53 million
SACHIA Vickery’s 2018 season keeps getting better, with the world No.75-ranked player set to feature in the main draw of the US Open for the first time in her career.
The August 27–September 9 tournament, played at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre in New York, will see Vickery make her fourth appearance but it will be the first time the player will not play in the qualification tournament.
This year, Vickery notched wins against some of tennis’ biggest names, including Eugenie Bouchard, current world #3-ranked and former French Open (2016) and Wimbledon champion (2017) Garbiñe Muguruza and 2017 ASB Classic champion Lauren Davis just to name a few.
At the just-concluded Wimbledon, Vickery’s run was halted in the second round, following her straight-sets defeat, suffered at the hands of Elise Mertens, who won 6-1, 6-3. Markéta Vondroušová was Vickery’s first round victim with the Czech Republic player losing 6-1, 6-2.
Vickery, who flies the ‘Golden Arrowhead’ in the world, having been born to ‘GT’ parents Paula Liverpool and Rawle Vickery, will play as an automatic main draw for the first time at the Tennis Grand Slam tournament.
Meanwhile, it was announced that the richest prize purse in the history of tennis is set to get even bigger with the announcement that prize money at the 2018 US Open will reach a record $53M.
Each singles champion will receive $3.8M – the largest pay-out in US Open history and a $100 000 increase from last year.
Prize money at the US Open has increased by 57 percent since 2013. The US Open was the first tournament to offer equal prize money to men and women competitors in 1973.
The total $53M purse for the 2018 US Open is more than a 5 percent increase on the $50.4M offered in 2017.
In the men’s and women’s singles tournaments this year, players will earn $54 000 for playing in the main draw, $93 000 for reaching the second round and $156 000 for advancing to the Round of 32. They will take home $266 000 for reaching the fourth round, $475 000 for contesting the quarter-finals and $925 000 for making the semi-finals.
Reaching the final is worth $1 850 000, an increase of $25 000 over last year. Both the men’s and women’s doubles champion teams will earn $700 000, the highest in US Open history.
First- and second-round losing teams will earn $16 500 and $27 875, respectively. Teams reaching the Round of 16 will receive $46 500, quarterfinalists will win $85 275 and semifinal teams will take home $166 400. Finalists will collect $350 000.
