French Open Champs Back to Pre-pandemic Pay; Total Prize Money Tops $50M

Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - June 5, 2022 Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates with trophy after winning the men's singles final against Norway's Casper Ruud. (Reuters)
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - June 5, 2022 Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates with trophy after winning the men's singles final against Norway's Casper Ruud. (Reuters)
TT

French Open Champs Back to Pre-pandemic Pay; Total Prize Money Tops $50M

Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - June 5, 2022 Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates with trophy after winning the men's singles final against Norway's Casper Ruud. (Reuters)
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - June 5, 2022 Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates with trophy after winning the men's singles final against Norway's Casper Ruud. (Reuters)

Paychecks for the two French Open singles champions will return to the pre-pandemic amount of 2.3 million euros each — about $2.5 million — and the total prize money is rising to a tournament-record 49.6 million euros — about $54 million.

The French tennis federation announced Friday what it will be offering at the clay-court Grand Slam event. Qualifying begins May 22; main-draw play starts May 28.

The title winners in singles will get the same pay as in 2019, which was the high mark in Paris. During the coronavirus pandemic, those prizes dropped to 1.6 million euros in 2020 and 1.4 million euros in 2021, before going back up to 2.2 million euros a year ago. Total prizes sank during that span, too, including to 34 million euros in 2021.

This year's total represents a jump of more than 10% from 2022.

Losers in the first round of singles will get 69,000 euros — about $75,000 — which is a 50% hike from what they got in 2019, and an 11% increase from last year.

Losers in the first round of qualifying receive 16,000 euros — a little more than $17,000 — more than double what the 2019 payout was and up 14% from last year.

Money for wheelchair and quad tennis competitions rose 40% to 810,000 euros ($880,000), while women's and men's doubles payouts are 4% higher, including 590,000 euros ($640,000) to each winning pair.



Toyota Confirms it Will End Olympics, Paralympics Sponsorship

Akio Toyoda (Reuters)
Akio Toyoda (Reuters)
TT

Toyota Confirms it Will End Olympics, Paralympics Sponsorship

Akio Toyoda (Reuters)
Akio Toyoda (Reuters)

Toyota Motor Chairman Akio Toyoda confirmed on Thursday the company will not renew its 10-year contract as a top sponsor for the Olympics and Paralympics following the Paris Games.
The world's biggest automaker, which had already suggested it would not renew the contract when it expired, will continue to financially support athletes, Toyoda said in the company-owned media channel.
Earlier this month, Panasonic Holdings announced it would also end its 37-year contract as a top sponsor after it became an official partner of the Olympic Games in 1987, according to Reuters.
The International Olympics Committee saw revenues of $2.295 billion from its top sponsors for the period 2017-2021, the second-biggest source of income for the Olympic movement, with broadcasters paying $4.544 billion over the same period.