Come the U.S. Open—the final major of the year which begins in August—Williams and Djokovic will most certainly be the players to beat in the women’s and men’s draws. The 35-year-old Williams is seemingly on a path to history. The US Open men’s and women’s singles champions will receive a record $3.3 million in prize money this year, a 10 per cent boost from last year, the US Tennis Association announced on Tuesday.
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The richest prizes in the sport will be part of a record $42.3 million total purse, which jumps 10.5 per cent from 2014. Runner-ups will take home $1.6 million each with every player who makes the New York main draws of 128 assured at least $39,500.
Wimbledon champions Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams each won the equivalent of $2.9 million last weekend while this year’s Australian Open winners each made $2.5 million and the French Open champions each took $2 million.
While tennis fans are no doubt getting ready for the 2015 Wimbledon Championships later this month, many are looking forward to the culmination of the season’s Grand Slam events when the 2015 U.S. Open begins on August 31.
The men’s side will feature half a dozen legitimate contenders for the title, but fans won’t have a chance at witnessing a 2015 Grand Slam winner.
That’s not the case on the women’s side, however, if Serena Williams takes home the Wimbledon title. Should that happen, Williams, last year’s U.S. Open women’s champion and this year’s Australian and French Open winner, will return to Queens to claim back-to-back titles, and also attempt to pull off a full sweep of all four major events in 2015.
Arguably the greatest of all time, Serena will take some beating at the U.S. Open—she has not lost a Grand Slam match since Wimbledon 2014.
Russia’s Maria Sharapova—New York champion in 2006—could be one challenger, but she was swept away by Williams in the semi-finals in London. Indeed, the last time the world No. 4 prevailed in a match against Williams was in 2004. Should the pair meet again in New York, there is only one winner.
Victoria Azarenka found some form at Wimbledon, and is arguably Serena’s biggest challenger for the U.S. title.
