MELBOURNE, Australia -- Australian Open tennis officials have announced an increase in prize money by 10 million Australian dollars ($6.8 million) for the upcoming tournament which begins on Jan. 14 at Melbourne Park.
Tournament director Craig Tiley said in a statement Friday that the Grand Slam tournament will now offer 86.5 Australian dollars ($58.4 million) in total prize money.
The U.S. Open announced in August that it was increasing its total prize money and player compensation to a record $65 million, which is the highest among the four Grand Slam tournaments.
