Former American tennis player Sam Querrey has raised concerns about the prize money awarded at the Indian Wells Open, arguing that the tournament champions should earn significantly more.
The comments came after Jannik Sinner defeated Daniil Medvedev 7-6, 7-6 in the final to claim his first Indian Wells title. Sinner received $1.15 million for the victory, the same amount earned by women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka.
Speaking on the Nothing Major podcast, Querrey said the amount does not reflect the scale of the tournament or the revenue generated by top players.
“I’m convinced they should get $3 million,” he said, suggesting that champions at a major Masters event like Indian Wells deserve a larger share.
Querrey pointed to ticket sales and packed stadiums during Sinner’s matches as evidence that star players bring enormous value to the tournament.
He also compared tennis prize money to golf payouts, noting that recent golf events have awarded significantly larger prize checks to winners.
Data from recent tournaments shows that prize money for early rounds has increased over the years, but payouts for champions and finalists have actually dropped slightly compared to previous editions.
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