US Open prize money rise challenges Wimbledon Wimbledon will come under pressure to offer a major increase in its prize money after the US Open prepared to announce some of the biggest rises in the history of the sport. Prize money at Flushing Meadows this year will total $33.6m (£22.2m), an increase of $8.1m on 2012. By 2017 it will rise to $50m, almost double the figure for last year, when Andy Murray won his maiden Slam. Winnings at Grand Slam tournaments has been a bone of contention for some time with the male players, who have complained that their share of total revenues is less than in many other sports. All four Grand Slam events have made significant moves to increase their prize money ever since the players" dissatisfaction with a number of issues became evident at the US Open two years ago. Wimbledon responded by increasing prize money last year by 10 per cent on 2011 to £16.1m. However, the move by the US Tennis Association to agree an unprecedented five-year deal with the men's and women's tours, offers a major challenge for the All England Club, which is due to announce prize money for this summer's Championships next month, and to the French Open, also yet to reveal details. To match the prize money on offer in New York, Wimbledon would have to increase the total pool by nearly 40 per cent. An alternative approach would be to follow the example of the Australian Open, which this year increased prize money to $Aus30m (£20.6m), and paid $Aus 1,000 (£687) per player for travel costs. The US Open, nevertheless, had more ground to make up with the players. One gripe with the tournament, which generates more revenue than any other Grand Slam, is it has offered the lowest prize money as a percentage of total income. The US Open moving its men's final to a third Monday also added to the players" dissatisfaction. A Monday men's final is still planned for the next two years, but from 2015 the schedule in New York will fall in line with Wimbledon's. The men's semi-finals will be on Friday and the final on Sunday, with the women's semi-finals on Thursday and final on Saturday. David Brewer, the US Open's tournament director, said: "We realise the game has changed and how they play the game is different even than it was 10 years ago. The format we've had for 30 years was putting players and the tournament in jeopardy.