Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios will undoubtedly be dreaming of holding the iconic men’s singles Wimbledon trophy aloft on Sunday - but both men will also be playing for the right to claim £2 million in prize money.
On Wednesday, Nadal sensationally defeated American star Taylor Fritz in a five-set thriller, triumphing 3-6 7-5 3–6 7-5 7-6 (7-3) to book his place in the last four. However, the 22-time Grand Slam champion suffered a frustrating abdominal injury that forced him to take a medical timeout and ultimately led him to withdraw from the Championships.
It meant Kyrgios has received a walkover to the Wimbledon final after he clinched the first Grand Slam semi-final appearance of his career. The Australian defeated Cristian Garin in the quarter-finals, triumphing in straight sets 6-4 6-3 7-6 (7-5).
As for Djokovic, he took on British No.1 Norrie in the sole men’s semi-final on Friday. In the end, Djokovic emerged victorious with a 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 win,
Looking ahead to Sunday’s final, Djokovic and Kyrgios will be pleased to know that, win or lose, they will leave SW19 at least £1.05 million richer. The runner-up secures just over a million while the champion will take home £2 million while also immortalising themselves in tennis history.
The finalist’s remarkable winnings comfortably tops the total issued to the men’s singles champion of Wimbledon 20 years ago, whereas £535,000 is now awarded to semi-finalists. The 2022 winners for both men’s and women’s will see a 17.6% increase in their paycheque on last year’s total, while they will also take home the coveted championship trophies, of course.
Wimbledon have a £40.35 million prize pot across the Championships, and Kyrgios secured 1/40th of that when Nadal pulled out to secure the walkover. The Australian has had an incredible Wimbledon tournament so far, with controversy expectedly rife.
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He’s shut down journalists asking him questions about spitting at the crowd, has broken the strict Wimbledon dress code and played perhaps the most explosive game seen in years against Stefanos Tsitsipas. However, the 27-year-old has been in phenomenal form throughout the tournament, even if he perhaps got lucky to advance past Nadal.
Kyrgios revealed he was having dinner when he heard the news, and went on to have a ‘shocking sleep’ due to the unexpected nerves surrounding the occasion. However, the World No. 40 admitted he was a ‘reckless ball of energy’ on Friday.
“I just want to go out on the practice court now and hit some tennis balls and just talk,” the World No.40 said. “I want the final to come already. I know that I have to kind of just calm down.
“There are still a couple days until that moment. Hopefully tonight I'll get a better rest, chamomile tea and a better rest.”
