British Tennis Forum - Celebrating 20 Years!

GAMEOVER · Futures qualifying

RE: Race for the Wimbledon wildcards 2026

Madadman · Grand Slam Champion

the addict wrote:
The AELTC has just announced the prize money for this year's championships.
The total increase is 20% over the 2025.
In relation to this thread, qualifying is now £20k for the first round, £32k for QR2 and £50k for the FQR. In the main draw first round losers will get £80k
The full breakdown can be found here

Just compared this to the other 3 slams to see where it sits in comparison. Figures are the % that Wimbledon is above or below that round for prize money compared to the other slam. I have taken the prize money as it was at the last tournament but have used todays exchange rate according to xe.com. Probably not 100% accurate but a rough illustration of where the new prize money sits.

	Wimbledon 2026	French	Australian	US Open(2025)
Q1	20000	-3.10	-5.03	-1.72
Q2	32000	12.76	7.96	3.45
Q3	50000	21.12	15.15	18.13
R1	80000	6.92	2.56	-1.72
R2	126000	12.70	7.69	10.57
R3	185000	15.04	8.55	5.49
R4	300000	22.40	20.19	1.35
QF	480000	18.75	23.08	-1.72
SF	900000	39.53	38.46	-3.47
F	1800000	49.50	61.00	-2.70
W	3600000	49.50	66.82	-2.70

Blue_Belle · Pro player

Mboko is out of Wimbledon thanks to that fall at Queens

Lambda · Grand Slam Champion

Very surprised she's withdrawn now, when she could have got 50% R1 prize money if she'd waited to withdraw on site in qualifying week.

But it moves Fran to 1st alt.

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

I suspect with her age, sponsorship and relationship with Serena spending another week or two in the UK for relatively little money would be pretty short sighted. Much better to go and get yourself sorted physically and take a mental break.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Lambda wrote:
Very surprised she's withdrawn now, when she could have got 50% R1 prize money if she'd waited to withdraw on site in qualifying week.

But it moves Fran to 1st alt.

Because Vicky is young and has been brought up to have good morals?

If she knows for a fact she's not playing Wimbledon, then it's right and proper for her to say so

JonH · Tennis legend

And the idea that a system is set up to encourage players to leave any withdrawal late in order to receive half their prizemoney feels a poor system.

I guess the system is designed to stop players actually stepping on court and then withdrawing, given the large prizemoney available. Maybe they should set it up so that any initial direct acceptance into a slam gets guaranteed payment of round one money, plus maybe a short back up list of a few players just outside. This would almost be like a retainer and they get it paid regardless. As a retainer, if they then play and lose, they don't receive extra money, but if they get to round 2 or beyond then they will receive round 2 money etc.

If we treat it like a retainer and it is guaranteed, there is no incentive to leave withdraw late other than seeing if it clears up. And players withdrawing early like Mboko has done would be normal and better for everyone concerned.

Obviously those coming in to the field as alts would need to get paid full first round prizemoney, I can't recall if a replacement for a late withdrawal currently gets full money or the other 50%, but they should get full money, IMO.

wales1994 · County player

Madadman wrote:
the addict wrote:
The AELTC has just announced the prize money for this year's championships.
The total increase is 20% over the 2025.
In relation to this thread, qualifying is now £20k for the first round, £32k for QR2 and £50k for the FQR. In the main draw first round losers will get £80k
The full breakdown can be found here
Just compared this to the other 3 slams to see where it sits in comparison. Figures are the % that Wimbledon is above or below that round for prize money compared to the other slam. I have taken the prize money as it was at the last tournament but have used todays exchange rate according to xe.com. Probably not 100% accurate but a rough illustration of where the new prize money sits.

Wimbledon 2026
French
Australian
US Open(2025)
Q1
20000
-3.10
-5.03
-1.72
Q2
32000
12.76
7.96
3.45
Q3
50000
21.12
15.15
18.13
R1
80000
6.92
2.56
-1.72
R2
126000
12.70
7.69
10.57
R3
185000
15.04
8.55
5.49
R4
300000
22.40
20.19
1.35
QF
480000
18.75
23.08
-1.72
SF
900000
39.53
38.46
-3.47
F
1800000
49.50
61.00
-2.70
W
3600000
49.50
66.82
-2.70

So frustrating that they keep upping the winning pot - the ones who really need the extra boost are the ones in quallies / first round. Add 10-20k per round from Q1 and deduct that total from the QF - Winner pots.

wimdledont · Challenger level

Fully agree with the above from wales1994.

Additionally, the surplus that the AELTC retain is largely passed on to the LTA, and far too little, but still some, of these funds are used to help players at even lower levels, and juniors.

the addict · Tennis legend

the addict wrote:
Reposting this as the lists were updated yesterday (01/06/26)
Main Draw Entry List
Qualifying entry list was due for release yesterday as well, but doen't appear to be available yet
Qualifying Entry List

Bumping this again, as lists have been updated today followinng Mboko's withdrawal from the main draw and Stakusic from qualifying.

As mentioned before by Blue belle and Lambda Fran is now just one out of the main draw

sammmm · Junior player

What happens if the wildcards get announced, Fran gets one but then someone withdraws from main draw and that all happens before qualifying starts? Do they get to give someone else the wildcard?

PaulM · Tennis legend

sammmm wrote:
What happens if the wildcards get announced, Fran gets one but then someone withdraws from main draw and that all happens before qualifying starts? Do they get to give someone else the wildcard?

Yes. Fran would move into the main draw and her wildcard would be available for reallocation. If it was decided not to reallocate it, then the next alternate for the main draw would just move in.

foobarbaz · Club Coach

Obscene amounts of cash for reaching the QF's and beyond, and these are players who are either already earning, or will recoup, a packet through endorsements / sponsorships for getting so far in a Slam.

Money is the root of all evil is the saying, and professional tennis for the elite seems to be a real money spinner. It's hardly surprising that so few take so much out of the game, when the rest have to endure a punishing and expensive schedule of global travel in the pursuit of points in a ranking system that rewards the already established stars and limits player turnover for the benefit of TV audience.

miriam abc · Club Coach

foobarbaz wrote:
Obscene amounts of cash for reaching the QF's and beyond, and these are players who are either already earning, or will recoup, a packet through endorsements / sponsorships for getting so far in a Slam.

Money is thEe root of all evil is the saying, and professional tennis for the elite seems to be a real money spinner. It's hardly surprising that so few take so much out of the game, when the rest have to endure a punishing and expensive schedule of global travel in the pursuit of points in a ranking system that rewards the already established stars and limits player turnover for the benefit of TV audience.

Excuse me for correcting you, but the full quote, from the Bible, is the "love of money is the root of all evil"

Var · Challenger qualifying

Not sure if this has been noted but Mboko out of Wimbledon due to injury.