US Open men's finalists playing for extra $2.7m in biggest winner's cheque in tennis history
Ben Shelton and Alexander Zverev will square off in the US Open final on Sunday, with both players bidding to lift the Grand Slam trophy for the first time in their careers.
If he goes on to win, it would mark Shelton’s first-ever Grand Slam title, while Zverev is bidding for his second after winning the French Open earlier this year.
Whoever manages to lift the trophy will make history, as they will earn the biggest winner’s cheque ever in tennis history.
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How much Ben Shelton and Alexander Zverev can earn in 2026 US Open final
Both Shelton and Zverev will have their heart set on lifting the US Open trophy to add to their trophy cabinet and go down in the Grand Slam’s record books.
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At the 2025 US Open tournament, the total prize money handed out was $90,000,000, with the champions of both women’s and men’s securing $5,000,000, and the runner-up winning $2.5 million.
The 2026 US Open is offering the largest player compensation package in tennis history, with a record $108 million available across the Grand Slam.
This represents a 20 per cent increase from the prize pot last year, with the winner of the US Open set to win $5.5 million, while the runner-up will earn $2.8 million.
In total, that means a fee of $8.3 million will be handed to Shelton and Zverev, with this figure also being shared between Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka; the greater share going to the Kazakhstani tennis star as she won her first-ever US Open title.
The winner of Shelton and Zverev will win an extra $2.7 million more than the prize fee that is given to the runner-up, so while it may not be what the pair are playing for with this being the US Open title, they will be fully aware of the money they can win.
The prize money from the 2026 Grand Slams
The US Open is offering by far the greatest prize pot, and the players are receiving the champion of the competition will secure the biggest winnings from this Grand Slam compared to the others.
A total of $108 million is on offer, with the winner of the US Open being guaranteed a fee of $5.5 million.
Meanwhile, the next largest prize pot on offer from a Grand Slam is Wimbledon, as the British competition is offering a total of $87 million.
The champion of this Grand Slam, who in 2026 was Jannik Sinner, secured a prize of $4.9 million.
Carlos Alcaraz secured the next-greatest prize pot on offer as he won the Australian Open this year, securing $3 million from the total winnings of $80 million.
The Grand Slam that offers the lowest prize pot is the French Open, as the total prize pot is $72 million, with Zverev winning $3.3 million.
Brendan McGilligan