(Reuters) – There will be no ranking points on offer, but Wimbledon will dish out record prize money of 40.3 million pounds ($50.5 million) and host capacity crowds for the first time in three years at this year’s tennis championships.
The grasscourt grand slam event had its ranking points taken away by the men’s ATP and women’s WTA after it opted to exclude players from Russia and Belarus because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a ‘special operation’. Belarus has been a key staging area for the invasion.
The men’s and women’s singles champions will each receive 2 million pounds, organisers said on Thursday.
“From the first round of the qualifying competition to the champions being crowned, this year’s prize money distribution aims to reflect just how important the players are to The Championships…,” said Ian Hewitt, Chairman of the All England Club.
The total prize money last year was a little over 35 million pounds, with Novak Djokovic and Ash Barty pocketing 1.7 million pounds each after being crowned champions.
The grasscourt major will be held from June 27 to July 10.
($1 = 0.7980 pounds)
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
