Bianca Andreescu's prize money is $3.85M after defeating Serena Williams at US Open
Tennis Industry Association President Greg Mason on the U.S. Open and why the tennis industry in expanding.
Teenage underdog Bianca Andreescu overcame the odds to defeat tennis star Serena Williams 6-3, 7-5 in the U.S. Open finals on Saturday, and the victory paid off big time for the young Canadian, with this year's tournament featuring the richest prize pool in tennis history.
The 19-year-old became the first Canadian ever to win a major singles title, and entered the finals as a +240 underdog against the far more seasoned 37-year-old Williams, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. For those who bet on the underdog, a $100 bet would have yielded a $240 profit.
The No. 15-seeded Andreescu took home a whopping $3.85 million for the win, while Williams, who has won the U.S. Open six times herself, made $1.9 million as runner-up, according to the U.S. Open website.
"It's so hard to explain in words but I’m just beyond grateful and truly blessed," Andreescu said on court. "I’ve worked really, really hard for this moment. This year has been a dream come true and now being able to play own this stage against Serena, a true legend of this sport, is amazing."
The nearly $4 million payday amounts to more than Andreescu’s entire career earnings combined.
As for the remaining players, semifinalists made off with $960,000 while quarterfinalists took home $500,000. Players who lose in the first round still receive $58,000 each.
This year’s U.S. Open has the highest total prize money and champion payouts in tennis history, with the total prize money amount coming to a staggering $57.24 million, which is a 13 percent increase compared to last year's $50.57 million purse.
Meanwhile, a newly established lower-tier circuit for rising tennis talents called Oracle Pro Series was announced last week. In comparison to Saturday's massive purse, Oracle Pro Series Men’s and women’s events will feature prize money ranging from $25,000 to $108,000 per tournament.
Saturday’s women's singles final between Williams and Andreescu is actually the second time the two have played a head-to-head matchup played, with Andreescu wing the first match in the final of the 2019 Rogers Cup in Toronto earlier this year.