EXCLUSIVE: Iga Swiatek earned $245,000 for less than an hour's work

MELBOURNE: Fancy earning $245,000 for less than an hour's work?

All you have to do is play tennis like Iga Swiatek.

That's what the Polish superstar pocketed for her 6-0, 6-1 demolition of 'lucky loser' Eva Lys at the Australian Open on Monday.

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Swiatek's fourth round rout took just 59 minutes and ensured the world No.2 would collect at least $665,000 for making the quarter-finals.

Germany's Lys - who was given 10 minutes notice to even enter the main draw of the tournament - had to settle for $420,000 for making the round of 16.

"I loved that one of the members of the media here said to her, off air, it's $420,000 and she had no idea," Grand Slam Daily host Chris Stubbs said on Stan Sport.

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"She hadn't even looked at the prize money. And her reaction!"

Swiatek has won five grand slam titles but has not progressed past the semi-finals in Melbourne.

She's been on fire in this tournament, however, only dropping 11 games and no sets from her opening four matches.

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"She's earned herself around $148,000 an hour (across the tournament)," Stubbs said.

Seven of those dropped games came in her first hit against Katerina Siniakova before romps over Rebecca Sramkova, Emma Raducanu and Lys.

She'll play American eighth seed Emma Navarro in the quarters on Wednesday.

"Awesome for the lucky loser but it was always going to be, you felt, too big a test," Mark Petchey said on Grand Slam Daily.

"It's also such a huge advantage to go out on this massive court (Rod Laver Arena), having played on it, you're used to the conditions.

"You walk out there if you're Eva Lys and you're wondering what's going to happen. She's had a great tournament, but Iga's looking supreme, she's looking dominant.

"And that's what the best players do. Yes, they compete, great, but they also dominate.

"There's obviously massive speed bumps coming ahead for her but the encouraging thing will be the manner that she's got through.

"It does look as though she's got a little extra spin on that forehand, but she's still keeping penetration.

"And I do feel as though she's settled into playing her style of tennis on a quicker hard court. Everything looks very good for her to mount a real serious challenge to win this title."

The total prize purse at this year's Australian Open is $96.5m, an increase of 11.56 per cent from 2024.

Men's and women's singles prizemoney (all in AUD)

First round: $132,000

Second round: $200,000

Third round: $290,000

Round of 16: $420,000

Quarter-finals: $665,000

Semi-finals: $1.1m

Runner-up: $1.9m

Winner: $3.5m