Tennis US Open Breaks Tennis Prize Money Record, But How Does It Stack Up Globally?

This year’s US Open will hand over the largest ever prize pool in tennis history at US$90 million.

Photo: 2022 US Open audience (source: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-couple-of-men-in-a-stadium-kIVLl_SHKcM)

The 2025 US Open will make history as the richest tennis tournament ever staged, boasting a staggering $90 million total prize pool. This marks a 20% jump from last year’s purse, which was also a record, of $75 million, with both the men’s and women’s singles champions set to take home $5 million each. The tournament’s organizers say the increase reflects both the event’s growing commercial success and a commitment to rewarding players more generously than ever before.

Where Does This Record Prize Pool Stand in Wider Sports World?

While this record cements the US Open’s position at the top of tennis, the question remains: where does it stand in the wider sports world? When you look beyond tennis into golf, football, poker, and eSports, the numbers get even more jaw-dropping.

Here’s how the 2025 US Open, which will start on August 24 and where Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka are the biggest favorites to win men’s and women’s singles, respectively—according to the best tennis betting online platforms—compares to the top 10 biggest single-event prize pools in sports and eSports history.

Top 10 single-event prize pools (sports & eSports):

#1 FIFA Club World Cup 2025 (men’s football): $1 billion

The revamped format featured 32 teams and an unprecedented cash distribution, with the winners, Chelsea, taking home $125 million.

#2 2022 FIFA World Cup (men’s football): $440 million

This edition’s total prize pool was $440 million, which was $40 million greater than the prize pool of the previous tournament, with the winning team, Argentina, receiving $42 million.

#3 2018 FIFA World Cup (men’s football): $400 million

At that moment, no football World Cup had such a huge prize pool. That was until the next edition took place.

#4 2025 World Series of Poker Main Event (poker): $90.5 million

Poker’s flagship tournament remained a global sensation, producing life-changing payouts for the top finishers: $10 million for Michael Mizrachi, who won and also took his eighth career WSOP bracelet.

#5 2025 US Open (tennis): $90 million

Tennis’s richest purse ever—and the only tennis tournament in history to break the $90 million barrier.

#6 Esports World Cup 2025 (multi-game, eSports): $71.5 million

The biggest eSports prize pool ever assembled, spanning multiple titles but under one event umbrella.

#7 The International 2021 (Dota 2): $40 million

A benchmark in eSports history, funded largely through fan purchases in the game.

#8 The International 2023 (Dota 2): $31 million
Another blockbuster year for Dota 2’s flagship event, despite prize pool fluctuations.

#9 Fortnite World Cup 2019 (Fortnite): $30 million

Epic Games stunned the gaming world with this unprecedented prize for its debut global tournament.

#10 2025 Masters Tournament (golf): $21 million purse

Golf’s most prestigious major continues to set records for the sport, with $4.2 million to the winner, Rory McIlroy.

Tennis Becomes Arguably One of Most Lucrative Sports

The 2025 US Open’s $90 million purse not only dominates the tennis landscape — surpassing Wimbledon, the French Open, and the Australian Open — but also holds its own against the wealthiest events across all sports. It ranks fifth globally for single-event prize pools, trailing only poker’s WSOP Main Event and traditionally the highest-paid major football events.

It’s a reminder that while football and eSports often dominate prize money headlines, tennis is now firmly in the conversation as one of the most lucrative sports for top performers.