The men's and women's singles champions at this year's US Open will pocket at least $1.2 million, the US Tennis Association said on Tuesday.
Total prize money for the year's final Grand Slam will be $18.5 million with the potential to exceed $21.1 million. The singles winners' cheques represent a 6.7 percent increase in prize money from the record payout in 2005.
The US, French and Australian Opens offer equal prize money in both the men's and women's singles. Wimbledon remains the only Grand Slam not to pay men and women equally.
The singles champions will also have the potential to earn an additional $1 million in bonus prize money based on their results in the US Open Series, a collection of 10 ATP and WTA Tour events culminating in the Grand Slam tournament.
