PARIS, April 26 — Prize money at the French Open, which starts next month, will be up 12 per cent on last year, tournament director Guy Forget said today.

But the sum handed out to the winner will rise by only five per cent from €2 million to €2.1 million (RM9.4 million to RM9.9 million).

A first-round loser, on the other hand, stands to receive an increase of almost 17 per cent from €30,000 to €35,000.

But the biggest winners will be those coming through qualifying, where prize money will jump around 33 per cent, Forget said.

"We wanted to put the emphasis on qualification because the gap between the top positions and those trying to live off tennis is getting bigger and bigger,” said Forget.

The total pot is up from €32 million to €36 million. — AFP