As Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev prepare to battle it out in the 2026 Indian Wells final of the tennis tournament, they are chasing more than just 1,000 ranking points. However, for the first time in the tournament’s modern history, the champion’s paycheque will actually be smaller than the one handed out twelve months ago.
In a move that has surprised many in the tennis world, the 2026 champion will take home $1,151,380, a decrease of nearly $50,000 compared to the $1,201,125 won by Jack Draper in 2025.
Why has the purse been reduced
The primary reason for the smaller winner’s check is a slight overall reduction in the tournament’s total prize pool. In 2026, the combined ATP and WTA purse stands at $18,831,450, which is down approximately 2.87% from the record $19.38 million pool seen in 2025.
While most major tournaments have been in a race to break prize money records since the end of the pandemic, Indian Wells 2026 has taken a counter-cultural path.
The mixed doubles shift
Tactically, the organisers have made a choice to redistribute funds. While the singles champions see a 4.1% cut, the tournament has tripled the prize money for Mixed Doubles. This unusual strategy was implemented to attract top-tier singles stars to the mixed format, creating more star power across the two-week event.
Despite the decrease for the winners, Indian Wells remains one of the most lucrative stops on the tour. Here is how the prize money stacks up compared to the 2025 payouts.
2025 vs 2026
2026 champion takes home $1,151,380.
The standardisation factor
Another driving force behind the change is the ATP’s move toward standardisation. Starting in 2026, all 12-day Masters 1000 events (Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Rome and Shanghai) are moving toward a uniform prize money structure.
This is intended to provide predictable earnings for players throughout the season but for a premium event like Indian Wells, traditionally known as the fifth Grand Slam, this standardisation has effectively acted as a pay cap for its champions.
The Indian Wells final is scheduled to be played on Sunday (March 15) at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, near Palm Springs, California, in the Coachella Valley, USA.