Australian Open Make Controversial Prize Money Announcement Ahead of Tournament

Australian Open organisers are facing criticism from fans after making a controversial decision in relation to prize money.

Defending men’s singles champion Jannik Sinner will be looking to retain his title at Melbourne Park this time around, having secured the prize in 2025 and 2024.

However, world number one Carlos Alcaraz will also fancy his chances of securing a seventh Grand Slam in the season’s first major.

In 2025, Sinner and Alcaraz shared the spoils, winning two majors each.

Now, both men will be hoping to add to their notable list of achievements while also boosting their already hefty bank balances in 2026.

As per the Australian Open website, the prize pool for this year has increased by 16 percent, with $111.5 million (£82.6 million) up for grabs overall.

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Jannik Sinner has won the last two Australian Open crowns (Credit:Getty)

Winners of both the men’s and women’s singles titles will pocket $4.15 million (£3.1 million) while runners-ups will receive $2.15 million (£1.6 million).

Semi-finalists will get $1.25 million (£925,000), while quarter-finalists will become $750,000 (£556,462) richer.

Players who reach the first round receive $150,000 (£111,276).

But it’s not just the players who can earn a fortune.

Fans can win a prize of $6.71 million (£4.99 million) by correctly predicting every match winner in all 127 matches in either the men’s or women’s singles draw before the tournament gets underway on January 18.

"This is a game of skill, not chance," Tennis Australia's Chief Commercial Officer Cedric Cornelis said in a statement.

"The AO Bracket Challenge is about rewarding tennis knowledge and creating an exciting new way for fans to engage with the tournament."

Carlos Alcaraz has never won the Australian Open (Credit:Getty)

Participants must submit their predictions following the singles draws on Thursday (January 15).

Those who fall just short of perfect predictions in the highest-scoring brackets in each draw are also set to win $6,702 (£5,803).

The prize is being offered in association with NEXO – a cryptocurrency company – which has drawn criticism from some fans.

One said: “Do not love Tennis Australia partnering with a crypto company to promote a prize that is truly impossible for anyone to win...”

Another added: “Grossly misleading advertising. The odds of anyone winning $10 million are basically 1 x infinity. It's so unlikely it's preposterous. This is a $20k competition and should be advertised that way.”

A third claimed: “I’d love someone to track the odds of every match in the Australian Open and then work out what you’d get from a bookie if you had a multi that correctly predicted every match.

“It would be a lot higher than $10 million. A LOOOOOOOOOOOOT higher.”

While a fourth commented: “The Australian Open has been gaining a reputation among local fans for being all about money, money, money. And now this...? Gross.”