Australian Open Prize Money to Rise

The Australian Open, the first tennis grand slam of the year, has increased its total prize money by 14% for the 2017 edition.

The grand slam, which begins on January 16, will see substantial rises in prize money payouts across the tournament: with the most dramatic changes coming in the early rounds of the competition.

Total prize money for the competition has more than tripled over the past 15 years, with high increases since 2014 contributing vastly to that figure.

The new increases will see the Australian Open bring its prize money budget in line with Wimbledon's, although the US Open offers around $10m more than its nearest competitors.

Serbian Novak Djokovic will be attempting to win his seventh Australian Open title, which would be a tournament record.