Wimbledon 2019 is here. The only grass court Grand Slam event of the year is always one of the highlights of the tennis season and punters will be lining up their tournament bets.
At the time of writing, Novak Djokovic tops the betting at 7/5 in the Wimbledon odds for the men’s draw with Ashleigh Barty leading the way at 11/2 in the women’s competition.
Traditionally, Wimbledon has been the most lucrative Grand Slam tennis event but the grass court tournament will lose that status in 2019.
According to reports, there will be a grand total of £34.5 million available in prize money across the men’s and women’s competitions this year, with a massive £2.3 million awarded to the winner of both tournaments.
In comparison, the winners of the 2019 US Open will receive £3 million, the Australian Open 2019 winners were handed a prize money total of £2.52 million and the recently crowned French Open 2019 winners were awarded £2.13 million.
Wimbledon is still more lucrative than the clay court Grand Slam at Roland Garros but it has fallen behind the other events. The prize money available to the two Wimbledon champions in 2019 is in line with that of 2018 and 2017.
While other tournaments have increased revenue on offer to the victorious players, Wimbledon has remained stagnant. Some reports attribute this decision to the drop in GBP value after the Brexit vote while others have put it down to television deals.
If you look directly at the other Grand Slam events, you immediately notice a few interesting facts and figures. First and foremost, the Australian Open are the stingiest in terms of prize money up until and including the third round.
| Australian Open | French Open | Wimbledon | US Open | |
| 1st Round | £23,630 | £37,650 | £34,300 | £42,000 |
| 2nd Round | £44,100 | £74,000 | £57,100 | £73,000 |
| 3rd Round | £88,600 | £122,000 | £91,000 | £123,000 |
| 4th Round | £177,200 | £208,700 | £151,000 | £210,000 |
| Quarter-Finals | £350,000 | £350,000 | £285,000 | £375,000 |
| Semi-Finals | £670,000 | £530,000 | £570,000 | £730,000 |
| Runner Up | £1.25m | £1.05m | £1.20m | £1.45m |
| Winner | £2.50m | £2.10m | £2.30m | £3.00m |
| TOTAL | £33.75m | £37.8m | £35.5m | £41.75m |
In 2019 Grand Slam events, the Melbourne-based tournament paid £88,224 for reaching the third round with the US Open offering the highest sum of money at £122,883 for getting to the same stage.
However, the Australian Open are much more rewarding than many of the other tennis Grand Slam events when it comes to the business end of the tournament.
The opening Grand Slam of the calendar year ranks second in terms of prize money for quarter-finalists, semi-finalists, runners up and winners.
Wimbledon’s decision to keep the prize money available at the same rate as 2018 has raised a few eyebrows amongst competitors and tennis fans.
The total amount of money on offer at Wimbledon has more than doubled since 2012 but leading players continue to claim that the grass court Grand Slam event is unfair, with Roger Federer suggesting that more money should be given to those who exit the tournament in the earlier rounds.
Federer has won an incredible eight Wimbledon titles and the Swiss star remains a huge fan favourite with tennis supporters all over the world.
Ahead of Wimbledon 2019, Federer is a 33/10 shot in 888sport’s tennis odds to claim a ninth crown and it wouldn’t be a huge shock to see Federer get the job that. The offer of £2.2 million prize money to the men’s singles champion should serve as motivation…
Wimbledon 2019 has all the makings of a thrilling competition. With the weather forecast looking clear for the opening week of the tournament, fans will be anticipating an exciting week of tennis.
With some of the greatest Wimbledon players of all-time on show, it should be one of the highlights of the 2019 tennis season. You won't want to miss a minute!
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*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
