By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, July 10, 2020
Wimbledon will distribute more than $11 million in prize money to the 620 players who would have played the 2020 Championships, which were cancelled due to COVID-19.
Photo credit: CameraSport
Wimbledon will share the green with players.
The Championships will pay prize money of more than $11 million to the 620 players who would have played the 2020 grass-court Grand Slam.
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Wimbledon cancelled for the first time in 75 years due to the Coronavirus crisis.
However the AELTC had pandemic insurance and will distribute part of that insurance money to the 620 players whose ranking would have earned them main-draw or qualifying sports in the tournament.
Prize money pay-outs based on world rankings are as follows:
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224 players who would have competed in qualifying will each receive £12,500 or about $14,135
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256 players who would have competed in main draw singles will each receive £25,000 or about $28,306
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120 players who would have competed in main draw doubles will each receive £6,250 or about $7,077
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16 players who would have competed in the wheelchair events will each receive £6,000 or about $6,793
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4 players who would have competed in the quad wheelchair events will each receive £5,000 or about $5,661
Players will only receive payment for one event.
"We are pleased that our insurance policy has allowed us to recognize the impact of the cancellation on the players and that we are now in a position to offer this payment as a reward for the hard work they have invested in building their ranking to a point where they would have gained direct entry into The Championships 2020," AELTC Chief Executive Richard Lewis said in a statement.
Players and coaches celebrated the news on social media with several applauding a truly classy gesture from the sport's premier tournament.
The tournament announced it will also provide payment to "the LTA licensed officials who would have worked at The Championships this year, and also a number of International Officials, all highly skilled individuals who are vital to the success of The Championships."
Starting in 2021, Wimbledon will eliminate its grass-court seeding policy and adhere to the ATP rankings for its seedings.
"Given the quality of competition, entertainment and modern grass courts, following detailed discussion with the player groups, the AELTC has decided that the grass court seeding formula used since 2002 has served its time, and from The Championships 2021 seeding for the Gentlemen’s singles draw will be based solely on ranking," Wimbledon announced.