Australian Open officials announced a prize money increase for 2014 that will boost the total purse for next year's event to AUD$33 million dollars.
The $3 million dollar raise continues the recent trend of the first Grand Slam event increasing its payout to players. Last year's boost to $30 million in total prize money signified the biggest increase in tennis history and prompted all the majors to offer more in earnings.
“We said it last year and we still believe it...these incredible athletes deserve every cent and we will continue to do everything in our power to make the life of an international professional tennis player more worthwhile. The Slams have led the way, but the entire tennis fraternity still isn’t there yet,” Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said.
New Roof for Margaret Court Arena
Another addition to the first Grand Slam will be a new roof over one of its show court arenas.
Thanks to a $366 million government redevelopment plan for Melbourne Park, site of the Australian Open, a new roof will be added to Margaret Court Arena. The roof will remain stationary in 2014 but will be fully retractable in 2015.
The new roof will provide 3,200 square meters of shade over the oval-shaped arena during the two-week tournament.
Follow Erik Gudris on Twitter @ATNtennis
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