NO PLASTIC STRAWS, PLEASE
‘Green’ Wimbledon announces a hefty prize-pot hike
Central to the 'greening' of the tennis championships is a ban on plastic straws and the use of electric cars in the courtesy fleet
London — Wimbledon has announced a hefty prize-pot hike, along with a new sustainability project aimed at ensuring it is not just the grass courts that remain green at the All England Club. On Tuesday organisers of the oldest Grand Slam tournament revealed a prize fund of £34m for the 2018 championships, up 7.6% from 2017. That figure includes awards of £2.25m each for the men’s and women’s champions, an increase on the £2.2m Roger Federer and Garbine Muguruza received in 2017. Organisers also issued a warning that players who compete while knowingly carrying an injury, and quit mid-match, face being docked all their first-round prize money. The move is aimed at preventing a repeat of the rash of retirements in early action in 2017. "In the wake of first-round withdrawals we pledged to act on it, and we have done so," Wimbledon CE Richard Lewis said. "We were very influential in the creation and adoption of the 50-50 rule and hope the introduction of it will play a significant role ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.