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