Prize money at the French Open, which starts next month, will be up 12% on last year, tournament director Guy Forget said on Wednesday. But the sum handed out to the winner will rise by only 5% from €2 million to €2.1 million [$2.18-2.29 million].
A first-round loser, on the other hand, stands to receive an increase of almost 17% from €30,000 to €35,000. But the biggest winners will be those coming through qualifying, where prize money will jump around 33%, Forget said.
“We wanted to put the emphasis on qualification because the gap between the top positions and those trying to live off tennis is getting bigger and bigger,” said Forget. The total pot is up from €32 million to €36 million.