Australian Open prize money rises to $36m

SYDNEY - Next month’s Australian Open will offer Aus$50 million (US$36.25 million) in prize money, with the men’s and women’s singles champions both netting a cool $3.7 million, organizers said Wednesday. The tournament-record purse, up 14 percent on the 2016 edition, also offers players $50,000 even if they lose in the first round. “It was especially important for us to increase the compensation for players in the early rounds and qualifying, and this year we have made some real gains,” tournament director Craig Tiley said in a statement. “Our aim is to shift the break-even point for professional players, to ensure that tennis is a viable career option for the best male and female athletes in the world,” he added. Prize money for qualifying matches at the year’s first tennis Grand Slam is up 39 percent, and the $50,000 reward for reaching round one is a rise of 30 percent. By comparison, last year’s US Open offered a total purse of US$46.3 million, while players won £28.1 million (US$34.7 million) at Wimbledon and 32 million euros (US$33.3 million) at the French Open. Kvitova ‘feeling good’ after surgery Two-time Wimbledon tennis champion Petra Kvitova is “feeling good” following surgery on her playing hand after she was attacked in her apartment by a knife wielding intruder, her spokesman said Wednesday. The Czech world No. 11 suffered injuries to the fingers on her left hand in the attack Tuesday morning. “Petra is feeling good after the surgery, a routine check confirmed that the operation was successful,” Karel Tejkal said in an emailed statement. Del Potro unlikely for Open Juan Martin del Potro is unlikely to be fit enough to play in next month’s Australian Open, the Argentine told a news conference Tuesday. The former US Open champion also cast doubt on whether he would play in the Davis Cup first round tie at home to Italy in February when Argentina begins the defense of its title. “What I need is to have someone get me physically fit enough to last the whole year,” he said. “There’s a fortnight to the Australia Open and I’m unlikely to make that objective. “We’re looking at what the priority is. If tennis waited for me for two years, Australia can wait for me for one more.” Del Potro is set to play two exhibition matches against Spaniard David Ferrer in Buenos Aires and at the seaside resort of Mar del Plata on Dec. 27 and 28. Having been plagued by injury problems, he enjoyed an unexpectedly good 2016 season, having recovered from a third wrist operation early in the year. The 28-year-old won the silver medal at the Rio Olympics in August, after knocking out favorite Novak Djokovic in the opening round, then helped Argentina win the Davis Cup for the first time. Argentina begins the defense of its title against Italy in Buenos Aires from Feb. 3-5, but Del Potro said he was unsure if he would feature in the tie. “There’s still some time to the first tie against Italy but not so much and it’s going to be on clay and that’s a surface I struggle on,” he said.