Wimbledon winners to get $2.9 million each

Winners of the men's and women's singles titles at this year's Wimbledon will each receive £2 million ($2.9 million), the All England Lawn Tennis Club said Tuesday.

Overall prize money for the tournament has been increased by five percent to £28.1 million for what is now the only one of tennis' four major tournaments played on grass.

Last year, reigning Wimbledon singles champions Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams each won £1.88 million.

But the US Open continues to be the Grand Slam event with the biggest prize fund.

Last year it paid out $42.3 million, with $3.3 million going to each of the singles champions.

This year's Wimbledon will also feature enhanced anti-doping measures following the admission by former champion Maria Sharapova that she had been taking the banned substance, meldonium.

Wimbledon chairman Philip Brook refused to say whether any ban for Sharapova would affect her membership of the All England Club which she gained as a Wimbledon champion.

"It is hard to say that the reputation of the game has not been hurt," he told the London Evening Standard.

"It would be a great shame because Maria is a popular former champion."

And there will also be "increased investment" in anti-corruption systems after allegations during January's Australian Open that tennis authorities failed to properly investigate possible fixing incidents involving 16 players.

"Our increased investment in promoting integrity in light of the recent focus on these areas underlines our determination for Wimbledon to play its part in safeguarding tennis's integrity," said AELTC chief executive Richard Lewis.

Measures will include data streams and videos of all matches, including in qualifying events, enhanced data monitoring and player education as well as additional anti-doping controls to complement those already run at the tournament by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

"Whether it's integrity or anti-doping we feel we should enhance what we are doing," Richard Lewis, chief executive of the All England Club, told reporters.

"There has been lots of media scrutiny since January and it's appropriate that we respond accordingly."

The Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) received no betting alerts during the 2015 championships, but All England Club chairman Philip Brook said the prestigious tournament needed to safeguard public trust, admitting that the sport's image was under threat.

"We don't think there is a big issue but we will do whatever it takes to keep the sport clean," he said. "It's an issue of perception rather than reality."

"I think it's hard to say (this year's events) haven't had an impact," he added.

The 130th edition of the Wimbledon Championships will be played at the All England Club in southwest London from June 27-July 10.  

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