Wimbledon cuts 2021 prize purse by 5%

BOB MARTIN / AELTC / AFP

Prize money for this year's Wimbledon will be a little over 35 million pounds (AED 181.3 million), a 5.2 per cent reduction from 2019 when the grasscourt Grand Slam was last held.

Wimbledon was the only major to be cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will this year return in its usual slot with the main draw starting on June 28.

The singles champions will bear the maximum hit to their earnings and will pocket 1.7 million pounds, down from the 2.35 million they were paid in 2019.

"As in previous years, and particularly in this challenging year for tour players, the focus of distribution has been on supporting players in the early rounds of the tournament," organisers All England Club said in a statement.

"Only four players (finalists and semi-finalists) in each singles draw will receive prize money at a lower level than was awarded in 2019."

Players participating in the qualifiers will see a 17.5 per cent increase in overall prize money allocation while the wheelchair and quad wheelchair events will also get a 17 per cent boost.

Organisers also confirmed that the men's and women's singles finals will be played with full crowds of 15,000 in attendance on Centre Court, making it the first outdoor sporting event in the UK to have full capacity since the start of the coronavirus pandemic last year.

Spectators have to register by Wednesday midnight to access the ticketing platform for the initial sale of tickets from 1:00 pm local time on Thursday, the organisers said.

In previous years, the majority of tickets were allocated through a public ballot held months in advance of the tournament being staged.

The All England club added that 2021 ticket holders must wear face coverings at the venue grounds but will not be required to wear masks and maintain social distancing when seated at the venue.

They will also need to present proof of COVID-19 status during entry, either in the form of both doses of vaccinations or a negative lateral flow test within 48 hours of attending.

More from Sports News

  • Manchester City striker Haaland suffers ankle injury

    Manchester City's Erling Haaland sustained an ankle injury in their FA Cup quarter-final at Bournemouth over the weekend, the Premier League club said on Monday, with the striker requiring further tests to determine the full extent of the injury.

  • Rory McIlroy battling injury with Masters approaching

    Rory McIlroy acknowledged he is dealing with an elbow injury as he prepares to head to Augusta for next week's Masters. The World No. 2 made a spirited run up the leaderboard at the Texas Children's Houston Open on Sunday, carding a 4-under 31 on the front nine that included an eagle.

  • Caitlin Clark sports card sets record after selling at auction

    WNBA star Caitlin Clark's 2024 Panini Prizm WNBA Signatures Gold Vinyl Prizm card, numbered 1-of-1, has set a record sale for a female sports card after going under the hammer for $366,000 (AED 1.3 million) at auction.

  • Saka ready to return, says Arsenal manager Arteta

    Arsenal's Bukayo Saka could make his long-awaited return against Fulham in the Premier League on Tuesday after recovering from a hamstring injury, his manager Mikel Arteta said.

  • Teenager Mensik denies Djokovic 100th title in Miami Open upset

    Nineteen-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik beat his childhood idol Novak Djokovic 7-6(4) 7-6(4) in an upset for the ages on Sunday, claiming his first ATP title at the Miami Open as he denied the former number one his bid for a milestone 100th.