Get your strawberries picked and take the cream out of the fridge - it's almost time for Wimbledon. This year's edition of The Championships, the 138th to be played since it began in 1877, starts on Monday and will run over the next fortnight until July 13, with drama and excitement on the menu.

Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz and Barbora Krejcikova of Czechia are the reigning men's and women's singles champions respectively, having each triumphed at the All England Club in 2024. Not only did their victories catapult them to legendary status in tennis but they also received a cool financial bonus.

And there's even more up grabs this summer. The two singles champions will receive an eye-watering £3million in prize money, giving Alcaraz and Krejcikova more incentive to defend their titles.

That's a record sum not only at SW19 but at any of tennis' Grand Slam events. The total has increased by 11 per cent, as Wimbledon continues to grow in popularity.

As for the overall prize pot, a staggering £53.5m, that's a seven per cent increase on the £50m from last year. It's also more than double the £26.5m which was on offer in 2015.

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Announcing this year's increased prize money, All England chair Deborah Jevans said: "We're immensely proud of the fact that if you look back 10 years, you can see the increase over that period and 7 per cent this year. And we have listened to the players, we have engaged with the players."

Jevans added: "The focus on just the prize money at four events, the Grand Slams, does not get to the heart of what the challenge is for tennis.

"The challenge with tennis is the fact that the players don't have an offseason which they want, they have increasing injuries that they're speaking about, and we've always said that we as Wimbledon are willing to engage and talk with the tours to try and find solutions, and that door remains open."

Who'll win the men's and women's singles at Wimbledon? Give us your predictions in the comments section.

Men's and women's singles
  • Winner - £3,000,000
  • Runner-up - £1,152,000
  • Semi-finalists - £775,000
  • Quarter-finalists - £400,000
  • Fourth round - £240,000
  • Third round - £152,000
  • Second round - £99,000
  • First round - £66,000

Overall increase from 2024: 8.2%

Men's and women's doubles
  • Winner - £680,000
  • Runner-up - £345,000
  • Semi-finalists - £174,000
  • Quarter-finalists - £87,500
  • Third round - £43,750
  • Second round - £26,000
  • First round - £16,500

Overall increase from 2024: 4.4%

Mixed doubles (per pair)
  • Winners - £135,000
  • Runner-up - £68,000
  • Semi-finalists - £34,000
  • Quarter-finalists - £17,500
  • Second round - £9,000
  • First round - £4,500

Overall increase from 2024: 4.3%

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Men's and women's wheelchair singles
  • Winner - £68,000
  • Runner-up - £36,000

  • Semi-finalists- £24,000

  • Quarter-finalists - £16,250

  • First round - £10,750

Overall increase from 2024: 5.6%

Quad wheelchair singles
  • Winner - £68,000
  • Runner-up - £36,000
  • Semi-finalists - £24,000
  • Quarter-finalists - £16,250

Overall increase from 2024: 4.8%

Men's and women's wheelchair doubles (per pair)
  • Winners - £30,000

  • Runners-up - £15,000

  • Semi-finalists - £9,000
  • Quarter-finalists - £5,500

Overall increase from 2024: 6.3%

Quad wheelchair doubles (per pair)
  • Winners - £30,000
  • Runners-up - £15,000
  • Semi-finalists - £9,000

Overall increase from 2024: 6.8%

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