Aust Open money boost pleases Djokovic

Novak Djokovic on Tuesday welcomed news that Australian Open prize money would rise by $4 million but warned that players’ fight for a greater share of revenue was “not over yet”.

The world No.2 from Serbia described an announcement by the organisers of January’s grand slam that the purse would increase to a record $30 million as “positive”.

He urged the other three of tennis’s major titles to follow suit.

“It’s a step forward, definitely,” the 25-year-old said following his win in the first round of the China Open in Beijing.

“They have clearly shown understanding for players’ demands and what the players had to say, so that’s really nice to see.”

Djokovic, a three-time winner of the Australian Open, said it was “great news for every player that plays this sport” but added: “It’s not over yet.

“Obviously there are other grand slams that need to react, and we are still in negotiations and we are still doing it behind closed doors.”

Australian Open organisers boosted prize money on Tuesday following reports in August that players on the ATP Tour, which runs the men’s game, were mulling a boycott of the tournament to try to gain a higher percentage of grand slam revenues for themselves.

At issue is the pay of lower-ranked players, who often exit in the first round after making the long journey to Melbourne.

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