TENNIS WIMBLEDON NEWS:WIMBLEDON WILL give this year's winners £1 million (€1.142 million) as the All England Club continues to defy the credit crunch. The recession-busting 17.6 per cent increase on the 2009 purse will be awarded to the men's and women's champions, securing the tournament near-parity with the US Open.

The total prize money for Wimbledon will be €16 million, up by €1.34 million on last year, and has doubled over the last decade.

All England Club chairman Tim Phillips revealed yesterday the rise has been driven by exchange rates and a desire to recognise the dedication shown by players.

“The fact Sterling has fallen between 20-25 per cent against the dollar and euro over the past three years means these increases are slightly bigger than in previous years,” said Phillips.

“The players are what this tournament is all about and we want to reward them fairly for their extraordinary efforts in this extremely competitive individual global sport.

“The fact we can pay this sort of prize money shows the Championships are successful and that we care about the players.”

The All England Club’s robust financial health has been helped by signing two new five-year official supplier agreements while interest among fans remains as high as ever.

The redevelopment of Court Three will result in a reduced daily capacity to 37,500 from 40,000, though the subsequent drop in revenue is expected to be minimal.

This year’s Championships have been declared a World Cup-free zone with the All England Club refusing to show matches on the big screen or other public areas.

“This is a tennis tournament. If you want to watch the World Cup you can go to South Africa or watch it on television,” said Phillips.