French Open 2016 to see 4 mn euro hike in total prize money

The French Tennis Federation (FFT) has announced that the total prize money of this year's French Open will see a raise of four million euros ($4.49 million) compared to that of last year.

"The 2016 Roland Garros tournament will award prize money of 32,017,500 euros in total -- a 14 percent increase compared with last year," read a French Open press release on Wednesday, reports Xinhua.

The total prize money was 28,028,600 euros (around $3,15,25,167) for Roland Garros in 2015.

As in last year, the most significant increase concerns players who lose in the second or third round, as well as in the Round of 16: their prize money will increase by nearly 20 percent compared with last year.

"This noticeable increase in prize money at Roland Garros is the final raise mentioned in the four-year plan drawn up for 2013 to 2016," explained tournament director Guy Forget on Wednesday.

"In total, the tournament's prize money will have increased by an historic 70 percent during this four-year period, with a particular focus on those players who are eliminated in the first week, who have seen their earnings double," he added.

Singles champions of this year's French Open will each earn 2 million euros ($2.24 million) more than last year's Stanislas Warinka and Serena Williams.

The 2016 Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam of a professional tennis calendar, starts here on May 22.