Honestly, the numbers coming out of Flushing Meadows lately are just staggering. If you’ve been following tennis for a while, you probably remember when a million-dollar check was the absolute peak of the sport. Not anymore. The 2025 tournament didn't just break records; it basically set the bar so high that other Grand Slams are still squinting to see it. We are talking about a total player compensation package of $90 million.
Let that sink in for a second.
When people search for us open women's prize money, they usually just want to know what the winner gets. For the 2025 edition, Aryna Sabalenka walked away with a cool $5 million after her dominant run. But the real story isn't just that big, shiny number at the top. It is the way that money is trickling down to the players who don't even make it past the first Monday.
Why the US Open women's prize money matters more than ever
It is easy to get cynical about sports salaries. But in tennis, players are essentially independent contractors. They pay for their own coaches, physios, flights, and those overpriced hotel rooms in Midtown Manhattan. That is why the USTA’s decision to boost the first-round loser’s check to $110,000 is a massive deal.
You don't have to win the whole thing to have a life-changing week.
Breaking down the 2025 payout structure
The distribution this year saw double-digit percentage increases across almost every single round. It’s a deliberate move to make the sport more "middle-class" friendly, if you can call a professional athlete middle class. Here is how the singles draw shook out for the women:
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- Champion: $5,000,000
- Runner-Up: $2,500,000
- Semifinalists: $1,260,000
- Quarterfinalists: $660,000
- Round of 16: $400,000
- Round of 32: $237,000
- Round of 64: $154,000
- Round of 128 (First Round): $110,000
Kinda crazy, right? Even if you show up, lose in straight sets in 45 minutes, and head to the airport, you're cleared for six figures. That covers a lot of travel expenses for the rest of the season.
The Battle Billie Jean King Won (And We’re Still Celebrating)
You can't talk about us open women's prize money without mentioning 1973. It's the year that changed everything. Before that, the pay gap was insulting. In 1972, Billie Jean King won the title and got $10,000. The men's winner, Ilie Năstase, got $25,000.
King basically told the organizers: "Pay us the same, or we aren't showing up next year."
She wasn't bluffing. The US Open became the first major to offer equal pay, thanks to a deodorant company (Ban Deodorant) stepping in to make up the difference in the purse. It took decades for the other Slams to catch up. Wimbledon didn't get there until 2007.
More than just the winning check
The USTA has started looking at "player compensation" as a broader bucket than just prize money. In 2025, they added $5 million in "additional support." This covers stuff that usually eats a player's soul—and bank account.
- Travel Stipends: Every player gets $1,000 just for showing up.
- Housing: Two free hotel rooms or a $600 daily credit if they stay elsewhere.
- Meal Vouchers: Increased daily per diems.
- Racquet Stringing: Free for up to five racquets per round.
If you're a player ranked 105th in the world, these "perks" are actually the difference between breaking even on the New York swing and going into debt.
The Doubles and Qualifying boost
We often ignore the doubles players, but 2025 was their year too. For the first time, the winning women’s doubles team split $1 million. Even the mixed doubles champions got a $1 million payday, which is unheard of in that format.
Qualifying is where the "real" struggle happens. The "Qualies" prize money grew to $8 million total in 2025. If you lose in the first round of qualifying, you still take home **$27,500**. That’s enough to fund a few months on the lower-tier ITF circuit.
How it compares to the other Slams
Right now, the US Open is the undisputed king of the hill. In early 2026, the Australian Open announced a record purse of roughly $74.7 million (USD), which is great, but it still trails New York by over $15 million.
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Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka have been vocal lately about the fact that while progress is great, the "percentage of revenue" given back to players still isn't where it should be. They look at the NBA or NFL where players get a massive chunk of the pie and realize tennis players are still fighting for a smaller slice of a very large cake.
What this means for the future of the game
The skyrocketing us open women's prize money is creating a feedback loop. Higher pay attracts better athletes. Better athletes create more "must-watch" TV. More TV leads to bigger broadcast deals (like the current ESPN contract).
It is a business, ultimately. But it's a business that is finally starting to value the women’s side of the draw as a primary driver of ticket sales, especially with the "Coco Effect" and the rise of stars like Iga Świątek.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Pros:
- Follow the Qualies: If you want to see where the prize money struggle is won or lost, go to Fan Week. The stakes are higher than you think.
- Support the Tours: Prize money at Grand Slams is huge, but the week-to-week WTA events still have a long way to go to reach parity.
- Watch the Revenue Debates: Expect more talk in 2026 about a "Premium Tour" or a merger between the ATP and WTA to further consolidate this bargaining power.
The days of women playing for "exposure" are long gone. In New York, they play for the biggest checks in the history of the sport, and honestly, it's about time.