US Open to cut winners’ prize money
NEW YORK: The winners of this year’s US Open singles titles will receive a US$850,000 pay cut as the tournament feels the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, organisers said on Wednesday.
In a statement, the US Open said this year’s event, which is taking place without fans, would have a total compensation of $53.4 million compared with about $57 million in 2019.
The winners of the men’s and women’s singles would receive $3 million each compared to $3.85 million apiece in 2019.
But players in the first rounds will receive a pay bump in recognition of the financial hardship during a season that has been decimated by Covid-19.
First round players will receive $61,000 this year, compared to $58,000 in 2019. Money for the second and third rounds remains unchanged at $100,000 and $163,000 respectively.
The USTA said it will also make available $7.6 million to provide monetary assistance to players who have seen earning opportunities stymied by tennis’ near-five-month shutdown.
Meanwhile Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova said on Wednesday that she will not travel to New York to take part in the US Open later this month as organisers could not guarantee her health and safety amid the Covid19 pandemic.
The US Open is set to be played from Aug 31-Sept 12 even as the country leads the world with over 4.7 million confirmed Covid-19 cases and more than 157,000 deaths, according to a Reuters tally.
Pavlyuchenkova, 29, joins the likes of men’s defending champion Rafael Nadal and women’s world No.1 Ash Barty who pulled out of the Grand Slam out of fear of contracting the novel coronavirus during their stay in the country.