Wimbledon unveiled a record 20 per cent boost to its prize pool, lifting total payouts to £64.2m for 2026 – the largest yearly jump in the tournament’s history. Singles winners will pocket £3.6m, up from last year, while first‑round losers rise to £80,000. The move follows player unrest at Roland Garros, where they trimmed press time and hinted at boycotts.

All England Club chair Deborah Jevans said the upgrade should satisfy players, noting that every round – qualifying included – saw higher payouts. Qualifiers now share £6.2m, a 25 per cent jump. The increase arrives as the tour’s elite push for a bigger slice of Grand Slam revenue, a campaign backed by recent statements from Aryna Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner and Coco Gauff.

The richer purse raises the financial stakes for June’s championships, giving defending champion Iga Swiatek and men’s title‑holder Jannik Sinner a bigger reward for success. By answering player demands, Wimbledon hopes to blunt boycott threats and set a benchmark that could force the US Open and Australian Open to lift their own prize pots. It also boosts revenue sharing discussions across the sport’s governing bodies.