BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND HIS PAL STING GO WAY BACK | US OPEN 2025 FINAL

Bruce Springsteen and Sting have been good pals for many years! They reunited at last night's US Open Men's Final in New York.

WHY CARLOS ALCARAZ COULD LOSE NEARLY HALF OF HIS $5MILLION US OPEN 2025 PRIZE MONEY

Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka are set to lose nearly half of their $5 million US Open 2025 singles prize money: Here’s why

Carlos Alcaraz may only get $2.5 million in prize money despite US Open raising it to $5 million. Image: Reuters

Carlos Alcaraz clinched a mega prize money of $5 million after beating Jannik Sinner in the US Open 2025 final on Sunday, but his actual in-hand reward could be just $2.5 million. The US Open organisers announced before the tournament began that the overall prize money pool for the 2025 edition was hiked by 20% as compared to the 2024 tournament.

While the total pool was raised to a whopping $90 million as compared to $75 million in 2024, the prize money for the men’s and women’s singles title winners was increased to $5 million each. The 2024 winners received $3.6 million.

Both the overall prize money pool and the winner’s rewards at the US Open 2025 are the highest among all four Grand Slams. And Alcaraz captured the biggest individual prize money reward in tennis by beating Italian star Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Alcaraz could lose half of US Open 2025 prize money

However, Alcaraz is set to lose almost half of the $5 million reward due to the local tax laws in the USA and New York. According to a report in the Daily Express, Alcaraz now fits into the highest federal income tax bracket of 37% in the USA, which is levied over income above $609,351. As a result, $1.7 million will be deducted from the prize money in federal taxes before he leaves the country.

Alcaraz will also have to pay a New York state tax of 9.65% on income between $1.08 million and $5 million. As a result, Alcaraz’s take-home prize money would be somewhere closer to $2.5 million. It would be the same for Aryna Sabalenka, who won the women’s title.

Alcaraz’s real income may even be less if we factor in the money he has spent on staying in New York for the tournament and the payment he has to make to his coaches, physiotherapists and for the travel.

However, it shouldn’t matter, as just at the age of 22, Alcaraz has already captured six Grand Slams, and leads 10-5 against his closest competitor, Sinner. It only shows that the Spaniard is set to win many more tournaments and should continue earning big rewards.

- FP Sports Desk

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LATE NIGHT DRAMA AS BIZZARE SCENES UNFOLD DURING DANIIL MEDVEDEV'S US OPEN MATCH

Medvedev loses his cool: this was the show he put on at the US Open. Photo: Getty

The opening night session of the US Open 2025 at Flushing Meadows turned into pure chaos as Daniil Medvedev staged a dramatic comeback in the third set, against Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi, in a match that had everything—frustration, controversy, and even an unprecedented court invasion.

Bonzi came out firing, stunning the Russian top seed by taking the first two sets 6-3, 7-5. For Medvedev, who had already suffered a shocking first-round exit at this year’s French Open against Cameron Norrie, the prospect of another early Grand Slam disaster loomed large. For the first time in his career, he was staring at a first-round loss in New York.

Known for his raw emotions, Medvedev let his frustrations spill over throughout the night. At one point, he openly mocked Bonzi’s fist-pump celebrations, clearly trying to rattle his opponent while venting his own pent-up anger. For the Russian, the night session in New York has often been a stage of high octane drama—and this match was no different.

But the most bizarre twist came on match point for Bonzi. Just as the Frenchman prepared to serve, a photographer infiltrated the court in an unprecedented interruption. The incident forced the chair umpire to replay the point, awarding Bonzi a first serve back—a decision that sent Medvedev into an absolute meltdown.

The Russian’s protests fueled the already electric atmosphere inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. For over six long minutes, the match was halted as the crowd erupted in chants of “second serve!” and relentlessly booed, refusing to calm down.

When play finally resumed, the chaos seemed to weigh heavily on Bonzi. Distracted and rattled, he dropped the next two points, handing Medvedev a crucial break opportunity. Sensing his chance, the former US Open champion pounced, breaking serve to stay alive and flipping the momentum at the brink of defeat.

Medevedev dragged the match into a tie-breaker to stay afloat in the first round match, and secured two set points in a dramatic turnaround. Medevedev converted his second one and took the third set to keep his chances alive. Even fellow tennis players Taylor Fritz and Genie Bouchard took to twitter to voice their emotions.

And Taylor Fritz turned out to be right, as Medvedev breezed through the fourth set 6-0, as Bonzi struggled physically and mentally to stay in the match. He called for the physio to attend to his knee, and the focused and zoned in player that he was for the first two and a half sets, quickly crumbled under the lights.

- Vivek Devane