The US Tennis Association said on Wednesday that it will pay US $ 53.4 million in scholarships for players who will compete at the U.S. Open in 2020, even though it has suffered significant revenue losses as it plans to present its flagship tournament behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The men’s and women’s singles champions will each earn $ 3 million, or $ 850,000, or 22 percent, less than the purses awarded to last year’s champions. In total, players will receive around $ 4 million less in purses in 2020.
The Spaniard Rafael Nadal and Australian Ashleigh Barty have confirmed they will not compete at the US Open due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The tournament kicks off in New York City on August 31, as scheduled, a rare decision this year in professional sports. Professional tennis went out of business in March due to the pandemic, and as a result many players, coaches and members of support teams were left without pay.
The women’s circuit restarted its activities this week in Palermo, Italy. The men’s circuit will follow suit later this month.
The scholarships for the first round will be increased by 5 percent, from $ 58,000 to $ 61,000, this is the only increase planned. Players who reach the second and third rounds will receive the same purses, $ 100,000 and $ 163,000, respectively.
The purses will drop for the following rounds in singles: they will go from $ 280,000 to $ 250,000 in the fourth round, from $ 500,000 to $ 425,000 in the quarter-finals, from $ 960,000 to $ 800,000 in the semi-finals, and $ 1.9 million to $ 1.5 million for the finalists.
According to reports, the purses will be further slashed in doubles: the male and female champions will share $ 400,000, down 46 percent from the $ 740,000 in 2019.
The USTA Executive Director Mike Dowse has said the scholarships awarded to players this year: “represent our commitment to supporting the players and their financial health during this unique time in history.”
