The French Tennis Federation (FFT) has announced a significant 9.5% increase in total prize money for the 2026 French Open, with the most substantial raises allocated to the qualifying competition and initial rounds of the main draw.
Singles champions will each earn 2.8 million euros (£2.44 million), marking a 9.8% increase from the previous year. However, the qualifying rounds will see a nearly 13% boost, and players eliminated in the first round of the main draw will receive 87,000 euros (£75,700), an 11.5% rise. This distribution strategy appears to address ongoing calls from players for Grand Slam tournaments to better support competitors across all levels, not just the top finishers.
"I do think the US Open stepped up a lot in that aspect," said world number five Jessica Pegula, a vocal advocate for prize money reform. "But even in that case all the money went towards the end of the tournament and what we're looking for is how we help the ecosystem of the sport and maybe that's spreading it out in the lower rounds a little bit more evenly."
While the French Open's percentage increase is nearly double last year's hike, it falls short of recent adjustments at other majors. The US Open raised its prize pool by 20% last year, and the Australian Open increased theirs by nearly 16%.
In other tournament news, director Amélie Mauresmo confirmed there will be no expansion of cameras in player areas at Roland Garros this year, responding to concerns raised by stars like Iga Świątek and Coco Gauff about privacy. Additionally, players will be permitted to wear approved fitness trackers during matches for the first time at the event.