Naomi Osaka, of Japan, hits a return to Elina Svitolina, of Ukraine, during quarterfinal action at the National Bank Open tennis tournament in Montreal. ( AP)

WASHINGTON, Aug 6, (AP): Prize money at the U.S. Open will rise to nearly $85 million across all competitions this year, including a record $5 million each to the women’s and men’s singles champions, and total player compensation is jumping 20% to $90 million, the most in tennis history.

The U.S. Tennis Association announced the payouts Wednesday for the year’s last Grand Slam tournament, which begins with the new mixed doubles event and its $1 million top check on Aug. 19-20. The singles competition starts on a Sunday for the first time - August 24 - as the brackets expand from 14 days to 15.

The increases at Flushing Meadows - where last year’s total compensation was $75 million - come as the sport’s leading players have been in discussions with each of the four major tournaments in a bid to receive a higher percentage of revenues at the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, French Open, and Australian Open.

Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff, and 2024 U.S. Open champions Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner were among 20 players who signed a letter sent to the heads of the four Grand Slam events in March seeking more prize money and a greater say in what they called “decisions that directly impact us.” Since then, some players have held talks with the majors.

The previous high amount for a U.S. Open singles championship was $3.85 million in 2019, before decreasing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s $5 million check represents a 39% hike from last year’s $3.6 million. The same percentage increase was applied to the singles runners-up, who get $2.5 million each. Semifinalists will earn $1.26 million, a 26% rise.