“Thank you Billie. For fighting for this,” is what Coco Gauff said as she received her massive $3 million paycheck after lifting the 2023 US Open trophy. It has been almost a year since this memorable ceremony captivated the attention of fans, and the event is still making progress in prize money. Now that the three grand slams have come to a conclusion, the US Open has come up with a staggering update.

Renowned journalist Jon Wertheim recently shared an update regarding the massive rise in the US Open’s compensation compared to the previous season. Players like Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic will compete for a record total of $75 million in compensation at the year’s last Grand Slam tennis tournament. This amount shows a massive 15% increase from the $65 million in 2023, regarded as the largest purse in tennis history by the US Tennis Association.

The men’s and women’s singles champions will each receive $3.6 million. The overall compensation includes money to cover players’ expenses. With this commendable boost, the US Open now becomes the highest-paying event among the four major championships. Wimbledon offered about $64 million in prizes this year, whereas the French Open and Australian Open each provided around $58 million.

Along with the update, Jon Wertheim also captioned his post on X, “Siri, please reframe this as a % of gross revenue.” Finding the conversation engaging, another entity revealed the revenue breakdown from 2023. He stated, “US Open made $514 million last year (up from $472 million in 2022) so $75 million as a % of 2023 revenue would be 14.5% which is a mostly unchanged % over last decade. USO historically gives lowest % of revenue as prize money but also gives highest total prize money.”

While the increased compensation is good news for players like Gauff, fans weren’t on the same page. They believe the percentage of revenue allocated to prize money remains low despite the large total prize amount.

“Now we know why” – Fans lash out at the real dynamic behind increasing US Open ticket prices

As soon as the post from Wertheim started to gather the attention of fans on X, many came forward to provide a shocking answer to his question. Along with that, there were many who complained about the rising prices of passes for the upcoming event, adding more to the dynamic that has brought no benefit to the countless fans out there.

A fan stated that the increase in compensation amounts is directly proportional to the expenses demanded by the fans. “Explains the increase in prices and I am sure the increase in amenities we as fans r going to have to pay for. Honey Duece prices probably $30 but it okay for this weird flex,” they wrote. According to the authorized seller Ticketmaster, even the first-round match costs range from $226 to $888.

Another fan complained about the terrible rise in ground pass rates compared to the previous version of the event. “Now we know why they jacked the ground pass ticket price by 400%,” they wrote. The ground passes that were generally priced at $28 are now set to be sold at $80, becoming another reason fans were left frustrated.

Tennis is a sport that charges its audience a hefty price to watch matches in the stadium. With prices for tickets increasing each year, a fan bluntly accused the USTA of being money-minded at all times. “And what about the fans that have to cough up $300+ for a simple grounds admission at times? USTA only cares about money,” they commented.

The ground pass became a completely different story as a fan revealed the price of a towel in the US Open premises. “Beach towels from the tournament gift shop are $74 #GrossIsGross,” they wrote, unveiling the harsh reality behind increasing the prize pool for the players. Although the price for a towel ranges between $20-$54, it experiences a hike while the tournament is on.

There was more than a single dynamic for this rapid rise in compensation. A fan wrote, “Winners: $3.6m; R1 losers: $100k. I don’t feel sorry for participating players tbh. And some big investors get most of the money, well that’s how it works for everyone else. Capitalism & all that,” making it clear that only the bigger investors are benefitted with this hike and not actually the smaller entities. Renowned brands like American Express, Cadillac, Emirates, and more are the official partners of the US Open. As the tournament commences each year, they’re the ones who raise notable profits.

With these and several other comments falling in the same line, the fans made it clear that they were not at all satisfied with the ground pass and ticket prices for the upcoming hard court major event. As the authorities continued to boast about the massive prize pool, the comments surely gave out the insider reality behind the scenes.