<div><p>The men's and women's winners of the Australian Open will each take home a record 2.1 million dollars (1.86 million US), officials said Tuesday.</p><p>Overall prize money had grown by 4.12 percent to 24,094,000 dollars, Tennis Australia said.</p><p>The 2010 Australian Open is likely to host a number of Grand Slam comebacks, including that of former No.1 Justine Henin who announced last month she is ending a 15-month retirement.</p><p>Fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters, who last month won the US Open, just five weeks after ending a 27-month long retirement during which she married and had a baby girl, is also expected to travel Down Under for the January event.</p><p>"So much has changed on the international tennis landscape," tournament director Craig Tiley said. "I think the respective title races will be more open than they have been in years.</p><p>"Del Potro's win in New York has blown the men's event wide open and Clijsters' effort, combined with Henin's comeback, has had a similar effect on the women's."</p><p>Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro defeated world No.1 Roger Federer to win the US Open in September.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=60549481&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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