Latest news with #prizepot
The Independent
a day ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Wimbledon reveals record 2025 prize money – but defends finals start time change
The winners of the singles titles at Wimbledon this year will take home £3million as the tournament announced a record prize pot for players this year. Carlos Alcaraz is eyeing a third consecutive men's singles crown at SW19, while Czech player Barbora Krejcikova is the defending champion in the women's singles. Both received £2.7m for winning in 2024, but the singles champions in 2025 will receive a £300,000 increase. The total prize pot has increased from £50m to £53.5m, a 7% jump, while first round losers will receive £66,000 – a 10% increase from last year. Meanwhile, the AELTC (All England Lawn Tennis Club) defended the change to the start time of both singles finals, from its usual 2pm slot, to 4pm this year. Doubles finals will now take place from 1pm. Alcaraz's incredible Roland Garros final victory against Jannik Sinner took over five hours. A similar length of final at Wimbledon this year would result in the roof being needed late on in the match, due to bad light. 'The consideration of the change has taken a lot of time, took a lot of thought and a lot of data analysis went into the decision' explained AELTC chief executive Sally Bolton, at a media briefing on Thursday. 'It's about an improved experience for all involved. Whether it's the doubles finals having greater certainty over their schedule, whether it's the fans having the opportunity to experience a day which builds to the crescendo of the singles finals. 'Or ensuring we have our champions crowned in front of the widest possible audience. Those were the primary drivers. We spent a lot of time considering the data and information in front of us from history and length of matches.' The singles final will now start at 11am (ET) in New York, a more convenient start time for viewers stateside. This year's Championships also sees the absence of line judges, for the first time in the tournament's 147-year history. Automated electronic line calling, via Hawk-Eye, will be used on all 18 match courts. A proportion of line umpires in previous years have been invited back to assist the chair umpire as 'match assistants.' It sees Wimbledon fall in line with the ATP Tour in installing electronic line calling, though Roland Garros opted for tradition in keeping in-person line umpires during the French Open. The 2025 Championships takes place from Monday 30 June to Sunday 13 July.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'Disruptor' World Sevens tournament 'is football fun again'
Eight clubs. Seven-a-side. A whopping $5m prize Munich have taken home the majority of that money, winning £1.8m ($2.5m) by beating Manchester United 2-1 in the World Sevens Football (W7F) is more than the winners of the 2024-25 Women's Super League, Women's Champions League and Womens FA Cup received up United have claimed £739,120 ($1m), with Paris St-Germain and Manchester City £480,428 ($650k) and £258,692 ($350k) for finishing third and fourth inaugural 'grand slam' tournament has taken social media by storm this week, but has it been a success and what does it mean for the future of women's football? Minority owner of Gotham FC and Chelsea, Jennifer Mackesy, has invested $100m in the competition over five co-founded the tournament alongside US entrepreneur Justin club receive a participation fee - the exact figure has not been disclosed but is lower than $1m - while there are bonus payments for clubs who reach the semi-finals, win the third-fourth play-off and finish the total prize money received by each club, 60% of that will go directly to the club to invest in whatever way they chose, while the other 40% is split among players and staff - and not necessarily example, players and staff could choose to split that money with members of the squad who did not travel to Estoril, give higher fees to those who played more minutes or to others who carried out media Sport has been told the players of at least one club in the tournament have chosen for their share of the 40% prize money they are entitled to, to go directly back into the club for investment. Prize money 'a really important statement' Along with the prize money for the four semi-finalists - Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, $500,000 will be shared between the four teams that went out in the group stages - Ajax, Benfica, Roma and interim boss Nick Cushing said the money up for grabs is a huge statement of intent."There are probably about seven galaxies out of my universe [before I can say] how important it is," he said."I think what it does do is it highlights the growth of the women's game. It's a statement, it's a really important statement and it's one that we thought was important to be part of."Before the tournament, United boss Marc Skinner said he expected the three-day event to be "carnage and fun". He wasn't celebrated United's semi-final win over rivals City by dancing in the middle of a circle of his players and pretending to deal money out of the palm of his hand."For any team who wins it would do a lot," Skinner said before the final. "First and foremost the players are enjoying it and having a good time. If we then get to the point where we can win the prize money then of course that can be huge for us." 'You have to reward them accordingly' Questions were initially asked over scheduling a tournament immediately after the conclusion of a busy domestic season and before an international break and major tournament, with fears players would not want to risk picking up injuries before a busy all eight teams bought into the tournament, sending strong squads with plenty of players who will feature at Euro 2025 incentive of taking home a slice of the prize pot helped according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire."It's indicative that investors see women's football and see tournaments like this in a way that the Indian Premier League was created in the sense that it is a disruptor tournament," he told BBC Sport."By putting in big prize money it means that you attract the best players, it means that the clubs want to be part of the competition as well. If you want the best talent then you have to incentivise them and you have to reward them accordingly."The people behind these initiatives are willing to put their money where their mouth is. We could be having this discussion in two or three years' time where this is the norm, or alternatively it would have been an experiment which hasn't worked."There is no feeling among players that the tournament is a fad, with overwhelming positivity radiating through Estoril."It's so sick, I'm loving it, absolutely loving it," Manchester United captain Maya Le Tissier told BBC Sport. "It's so fun, the whole set-up is incredible. I'm very lucky to be playing in this tournament. The vibe between all the teams is amazing.""If we could come every year or every week, that would be great. It's just so fun. But it has to be somewhere sunny. It can't be in Manchester. It wouldn't have the same effect." 'We saw personalities come to life' With rolling substitutes, no offsides and 15-minute halves, the tournament format brings out flair and creativity, as well as attacking Tissier said part of the enjoyment came from playing with more freedom and less pressure, something which was at the forefront for former Arsenal defender Anita Asante, who is on the World Sevens player advisory council."We saw personalities come to life," Asante said. "They were enjoying the experience, competitive on the pitch and it has just been such a fun engaging experience."I think it's an opportunity for them to really just feel like the inner child comes out again and they have fun playing the game of football in the way that we all enjoy."Tobin Heath, a World Cup winner with the United States who is also part of the advisory council, believes the tournament has been a hit."For me, a 90-minute football game nowadays is not speaking to the next generation," she said. This format really speaks to the next generation. It's football fun again. "Football has become so professionalised, so prescribed. We're missing the fun, the feel of what football is, what I fell in love with. Speaking to the players here, it's been fantastic. They just say, this is so fun."After the final whistle in Friday night's finale, there was no sulking from runners-up Manchester United. Once Bayern's initial celebrations were over, both teams embraced and celebrated in the spirit of the tournament."It was cool because I just wanted to do a handshake and say 'thank you' but they wanted to party together," Bayern's matchwinner Sarah Zadrazil said."I think this is what the tournament is about. It brings different clubs together and we just wanted to have a good time. I think we did that over the three days and I'm excited for the last party now. They are all amazing players and it's one big football family." So what next?Future events are being planned in cities across the United States, Mexico, Asia and Europe and the aim is to have up to five tournaments every date or venue has been confirmed for the next event, but organisers expect the next edition to take place outside of Europe before the end of 2025."I don't think we will ever lose the love and affection that fans have for their own clubs and also for the Lionesses," Maguire added. "But as an alternative, I think there is a market for tournaments like this."It can complement rather than substitute the traditional women's game. "Attendances this season have been a bit disappointing in the WSL and this will be seen as an alternative and a way of bringing in a new demographic to watch the women's game. That can only be good for the game as a whole."
The Sun
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
The 1% Club wipes out 10 players with tricky flowers question – but could you get the right answer in 30 seconds?
PLAYERS on The 1% Club were left stumped by a tricky question on the hit quiz show. A total of 10 players were wiped out on the programme after failing to spot the correct combination in a tricky question all about flowers. 4 4 On the programme, hosted by Lee Mack, he asked the remaining players if they could work out what would logically come next in a sequence as part of the 60% question. Four images of flowers were flashed up on the screen with a fifth space filled by a question mark. Lee then said to the ITV show's players: "Which flower would logically come next in this sequence?" The players were then presented with four more options of flowers and were told to select one. Labelled from A to D, they had 30 seconds to figure it all out. When the time was up, it was revealed that 10 players had been axed and as such had added a whopping £10,000 to the prize pot. Lee told the contestants that the correct answer would be the flower in option D. This was because the flower contained 7 petals. The flowers in the sequence had all added an extra petal per image and, as such, seven was the correct option. The on-screen explanation read: "The sequence of flowers goes from 3 petals to 4 petals to 5 petals to 6 petals so the flower with 7 petals has to be the answer." The 1% Club's tough letters question puzzles player - could you get it right? Would you have got it right? The tricky question comes as fans were left gobsmacked to learn The 1% Club host Lee Mack's REAL name. When Lee reveals the correct answer on the hit show, often he will interview players. He often makes jokes about either their names, their looks, or even their occupations. The instalment featured one contestant who said their surname was McKillop. Lee then revealed that the family moniker was actually his real surname as well, which left the audience completely stunned. In 1995, he first received recognition at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival when he won the So You Think You're Funny competition as Lee McKillop. 4 4
