Cha-Ching! French Open prize money up a massive 12%

Paris - Prize money at the French Open, which starts next month, will be up 12 percent on last year, tournament director Guy Forget said on Wednesday.

But the sum handed out to the winner will rise by only five percent from €2.0 to €2.1 million.

A first-round loser, on the other hand, stands to receive an increase of almost 17 percent from €30,000 to €35,000.

But the biggest winners will be those coming through qualifying, where prize money will jump around 33 percent, Forget said.

"We wanted to put the emphasis on qualification because the gap between the top positions and those trying to live off tennis is getting bigger and bigger," said Forget.

The total pot is up from €32 to €36 million.