Wimbledon’s big financial gesture: £10m in prize money to be paid to players despite 2020 cancellation

Shahida Jacobs
July 12, 2020

Many players have suffered financial losses this year due to the cancellation of Wimbledon, but the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has come to the party in a big way as they will pay out £10m in prize money to the 620 players who would have taken part in the 2020 Championships.

Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since World War II as tennis was forced to go on a hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, AELTC has provided some relief as they will distribute £10m to more than 600 players based on their world rankings with the move coming on the back of insurance policies paying out in the event of a pandemic.

Based on the ATP and WTA Rankings:
• 224 players who would have competed in qualifying will each receive £12,500
• 256 players who would have competed in main draw singles will each receive £25,000
• 120 players who would have competed in main draw doubles will each receive £6,250
• 16 players who would have competed in the wheelchair events will each receive £6,000
• 4 players who would have competed in the quad wheelchair events will each receive £5,000

“Immediately following the cancellation of The Championships, we turned our attention to how we could assist those who help make Wimbledon happen,” AELTC Chief Executive Richard Lewis said.

“We know these months of uncertainty have been very worrying for these groups, including the players, many of whom have faced financial difficulty during this period and who would have quite rightly anticipated the opportunity to earn prize money at Wimbledon based on their world ranking.”

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