The Cincinnati Masters is reaching its climax. After more than a week of intense competition, the stage is set for the final showdown. Jannik Sinner and Frances Tiafoe are ready to battle it out, with both players eager to etch their names into the tournament’s history. The anticipation is through the roof, and tennis fans everywhere are on the edge of their seats, waiting to see who will claim the coveted title. But amidst all the excitement and speculation, there’s one question that keeps buzzing around: What’s the prize money this year?

The prize pool at the Cincinnati Masters has undergone a significant change. The 2024 edition of the tournament featured a total prize pool of $6,795,555, which is the highest prize money that the ATP Tour has ever fought over at the Cincinnati Open. The increase clearly meant that the winner and runners-up would receive additional profits too, as compared to previous years.

Upon clinching the title, Tiafoe or Sinner will bag a whooping prize money of $1,049,460. The amount has witnessed a sharp increase of 2.96% as compared to what Novak Djokovic bagged after he lifted the title last year. Remember, the amount for the winning player in 2023 was $1,019,335. The fortune of the runners-up will be similar as well. 

The player falling short of winning the title in the finals will also return home with a hefty amount in the bank. With a similar increase of 2.96% as compared to 2023, the player winning the second position in the tournament will be getting a sum of $573,090. Last year, the prize money for this spot was $556,630 and was bagged by Carlos Alcaraz. Interestingly, there is much more to this prize pool.

The prize money for the ATP and WTA players have a sharp contrast. Winning the same title would not give the WTA players as much as their male counterparts. Aryna Sabalenka, the winner of the tournament from the WTA side, would receive only half the prize money as compared to her male counterparts. She will be taking home $523,485. Besides, Jessica Pegula, the runner-up, would only take $308,320. This sharp difference has once again raised questions about equality within the tennis corridors.

No equal pay for ATP and WTA players anytime soon?

The difference between the prize money of ATP and WTA players is strikingly sharp. Interestingly, the defeated semi-finals in the men’s tournament at Cincinnati will be awarded more in terms of prize money than the runner-up in the WTA event, with the ATP semifinalist bagging $313,395. The different treatment given to the players has been called out by many, including Rafael Nadal. 

Earlier this year, Nadal expressed his support for equal pay for both ATP and WTA players. “I don’t want to be hypocritical and say things that are easy to say and that I don’t feel. What do you want me to say? For me, the investment for women should be the same as for men,” said the 22-time major champion. “The opportunities, the same. The salaries, the same? No, for what? It’s not unfair, what’s unfair is that there isn’t equal opportunity.”

But as Frances Tiafoe and Jannik Sinner gear up to take against each other, it would be interesting to see who eventually clinches the title and takes home the hefty cheque with them.