Melbourne, Dec 22: The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season which will be held between January 16-29, will increase its prize money by 14 percent compared to the previous year, the tournament's organisers announced on Wednesday.

The new amount will reach 34.8 million euros ($36.2 million), while the winners of the men and women singles will earn 2.5 million euros ($2.6 million) each, reports
Efe.

Those eliminated from the first round will earn 34,000 euros ($36,000), while those defeated in the third round will get 90,500 euros ($94,292).

The prize money in the preliminary rounds has also increased, as those eliminated from the qualifying competition will receive 17,400 euros ($18,129).

The increase is part of a package of measures to try to tackle corruption. It was during last year's Australian Open that a BBC and BuzzFeed News investigation
uncovered suspected illegal betting, with 16 players reportedly flagged over suspicious matches.

The lower levels of tennis are considered more vulnerable to betting-related corruption as players struggle to make a living through prize money.

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said: "It was especially important for us to increase the compensation for players in the early rounds and qualifying
and this year we have made some real gains. Our aim is to shift the break-even point for professional players, to ensure that tennis is a viable career option for the
best male and female athletes in the world."