Organisers at this year's Australian Open have increased prize money at the season opening grand slam by 14 per cent on last year's pot in a measure to tackle corruption.

After being hit by allegations of match-fixing on the eve of the tournament last year, the Australian Open is offering much larger financial reward to those at the lower rungs of the sport.

The opening grand slam of 2017 gets under way on 16 January with Novak Djokovic and Angelique Kerber defending the singles titles.

Although the men's and women's singles champions can look forward to taking home £2.24 million for scooping either the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup or Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, first-round losers can pick up a cheque for £30,000 - an increase of 30 per cent on last year's pot.

Sir Andy Murray, a perennial best man in Melbourne, would walk away £1.15m richer this year if he falls short in the final for the sixth time in his career.

Australia's enfant terrible Nick Kyrgios, meanwhile, stands to earn £266,000 if he matches his best ever achievement at his home slam by reaching the quarter-finals again as he did two years ago.

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said: "It was especially important for us to increase the compensation for players in the early rounds and qualifying and this year we have made some real gains.

"Our aim is to shift the break-even point for professional players, to ensure that tennis is a viable career option for the best male and female athletes in the world."

Murray and Serena Williams both won £2m for winning their respective Wimbledon titles last summer.

Djokovic and Garbiñe Muguruza took home £1.6m in Paris for their triumphs at Roland Garros last June.

(Telegraph)