Wimbledon Announces 40 Percent Increase in Prize Money and Domed Stadium
April 23, 2013 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Wimbledon has announced a 40 percent increase in prize money for this year’s tournament and plans to build a retractable roof over Court #1. The All England Club says total prize money will be $34.4 million, an increase of 6.5 percent or $9.9 million over last year’s total prize money.
“The latest prize money increases announced by Wimbledon complete a successful set of discussions for the ATP with all four Grand Slams regarding player compensation," said Brad Drewett, ATP executive chairman and president. "I’d like to thank Philip Brook and Richard Lewis from the All England Club for their positive and constructive attitude towards prize money discussion with the ATP over the past 15 months. The Slams are important events that generate significant revenues, and the ATP has strongly advocated that all players who perform there should share in a more acceptable percentage of those revenues—like they do on the ATP World Tour. Each of the Slams deserves credit for the way they have stepped up in this regard over the past 15 months.”
The club calls it is the largest single increase and biggest total prize money in the history of professional tennis, as the men’s and women’s singles champions will reach receive $2.4 million, up from $1.75 million a year ago.
The All England Club also confirmed that it plans to build a retractable roof over Court #1, which is expected to be completed by 2019. Once complete, Wimbledon will have the ability to maintain covered play on its two main show courts for 26,000-plus spectators.
In July 2012, the All England Club announced that from 2015 the dates of Wimbledon will move back by one week (June 29-July 12, 2015) to create a three-week gap between Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
