As summer climaxes in the heart of England, a tennis event unlike any other offers players groundbreaking opportunities through its lucrative rewards.
The aroma of freshly cut grass, the delightful taste of strawberries and cream, the elegant all-white dress code, and the absence of sponsor logos during matches are the hallmarks of SW19, better known as the Wimbledon Championships, where the fast and slippery courts are unforgiving, demanding the highest levels of skill and agility from players. These cherished traditions, combined with the thrilling pace of play and aura of distinction, transform the world’s oldest and most prestigious major tennis tournament into a two-week spectacle that captivates sporting audiences across the globe.
For any athlete, winning the Wimbledon title inside the world’s most famous tennis court at the All England Club is life-changing. Just ask Carlos Alcaraz, the 21-year-old Spaniard who defeated Novak Djokovic in last year’s five-set final en route to his second Grand Slam trophy. Alcaraz’s win earned him a purse of 2.35 million euros – a 17.5 per cent increase from the 2022 champion’s prize money, per The Athletic. However, it wasn’t just the title-winning cheque that catapulted Alcaraz to tennis superstardom.
Alcaraz’s Wimbledon victory had a significant impact on his sponsorship deals. Nike, the athletic brand that sponsors Alcaraz, launched a clever advertisement campaign shortly after his win. The slogan read “Don’t belong to an era, start your own” and featured a picture of Alcaraz doing his signature fist pump celebration after winning a point while he locked eyes with his coaching box. Rolex, another sponsor of Alcaraz, quickly capitalized on his win and increasing popularity, releasing a series of ads highlighting his triumph and their partnership. In August, 2023, a month after his victory, Alcaraz made his first appearance in a Louis Vuitton campaign. In an advertisement done earlier this year with the fashion brand, Alcaraz was seen paying homage to his second major title by posing next to a trunk which included tennis attire and equipment inspired by his Wimbledon win.
But Alcaraz is just one example of how an athlete’s endorsement portfolio enriches after lifting the Wimbledon title. Following his win on the lawn in 2013, a wave of endorsement deals rolled in for Andy Murray, who agreed to a three-year agreement with insurance company Standard Life, which saw him earn two million euros annually, according to SportsPro Media. A year later, the British player signed a four-year kit deal with the US-based sportswear company Under Armour worth around 15 million euros, according to The Telegraph.
In 2004, at the age of 17, Maria Sharapova won the Wimbledon Championships by beating the consensus greatest female tennis player of all time, Serena Williams, in the final. Following this victory, the New York Post reported that she secured her first post-Wimbledon endorsement with Motorola for a sum between $4 and $5 million USD. Additionally, Sports Business Journal cited in November 2004 that the Russian tennis player signed a multi-year, multi-million-dollar agreement with Canon. Her success also led to a three-year deal with Parlux Fragrances Inc. that same year, valued at nearly $5 million USD for a perfume line bearing her name, per the New York Post.
The prize money offered to the winning athletes at Wimbledon is significant not only off the lawn but also on it. Wimbledon confirmed back in June that a record 50 million euros in prize pool money is on offer at this year’s championships, an 11.9 per cent increase from 2023. The Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Singles Champions will each receive 2.7 million euros, a figure higher than the 2.3 million euros awarded to the singles winners at the US Open in 2023, as well as more than what the singles winners received at this year’s Australian Open and French Open. The runners-up will receive 1.4 million euros.
In 1973, the US Open became the first of the four major tournaments to offer equal prize money for men and women. The Australian Open followed suit in 2001, and the French Open and Wimbledon were the last of the two Grand Slams to adopt the equal pay rule in 2007. The 2007 singles victors, Roger Federer and Venus Williams, received 700,000 euros for winning their respective titles.
Although a tournament record, the prize pot at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships sits just below the 2023 US Open’s total prize pot of 50.8 million euros. However, the 50 million euros exceeds the figures of around 45 million euros offered at the Australian Open and French Open this calendar year, as reported by The Athletic.
There’s a lot at stake this weekend, as the men’s and women’s singles finals are set to take centre stage at the 137th edition of the Wimbledon Championships. For the winners, their names will be forever engraved on the coveted trophy, and a pretty cheque, along with a lifetime of endorsements, awaits.
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