Money

The Wimbledon men's champion earned $2,621 in 1968—here's how much he'll win this year

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18-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer
Clive Brunskill | Getty Images

Roger Federer and Marin Cilic will face off in the 2017 Wimbledon final on Sunday.

Cilic, 28, is looking to capture his first Wimbledon title, while Federer, 35, is vying to become the first man in history to win an eighth singles title at the All England Club.

And a record £2.2 million (or about $2.8 million) in prize money is on the line. That's a 10 percent jump from last year, when £2.0 million (about $2.6 million) was awarded, and double the amount awarded just six years ago.

Rod Laver won four Wimbledon titles
Getty Images | Getty Images

In 1968, the start of tennis' professional era, Wimbledon champion Rod Laver took home £2,000 or $2,619. That's the equivalent of $18,652 in today's money.

Since, the prize money has skyrocketed. Read on to see how much the men's champions earned every five years in both British Pounds and U.S. Dollars (the exact amounts could have been different depending on exchange rates for that year), starting in 1968.   

The figures are based on Wimbledon's full pay breakdown, which can be found here.

1968: £2,000 or $2,621

1973: £5,000 or $6,552

1978: £19,000 or $24,896

1983: £66,600 or $87,266

1988: £165,000 or $216,200

1993: £305,000 or $399,642

1998: £435,000 or $569,981

2003: £575,000 or $753,423

2008: £750,000 or $982,725

2013: £1,600,000 or $2,096,480

2017: £2,200,000 or $2,882,660

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