Australian Open Player May Have Prize Money Stripped Due to Controversial Rule

A player at the Australian Open could reportedly have his prize money stripped due to a controversial rule. On Sunday, the 2026 Australian Open began, with the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, Alexander Zverev and Emma Raducanu all winning their opening round matches. Meanwhile, players such as Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev advanced to the second round on Monday. On Tuesday, defending champions Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys sealed their passage to the next stage. On Sunday, young American Michael Zheng stunned fellow countryman Sebastian Korda by winning a five-set thriller 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (0-7), 6-3. As a result, the 21-year-old will take on 32nd seed Corentin Moutet in the second round. After beating Korda, Zheng earned himself $225,000 in prize money. However, it has since been claimed that the American could be stripped of the money. According to the Daily Mail, Zheng is still a student at Columbia University. The report stated: "Zheng delayed turning professional in order to complete his psychology degree, a decision that has left him navigating a grey area between elite professional tennis and college eligibility rules." If you want to see even more from SPORTbible, make us a preferred source on Google. It is believed that under current rules, college athletes 'are typically restricted to using prize money only to cover expenses, rather than collecting full earnings'. Speaking after the match, Zheng said: "I feel like it's gotten blurrier than it used to be in some ways in terms of the line between turning pro and staying in college. "I still have one more semester at Columbia, which I do intend to finish. So whenever my run here is done, I'm going back to school." He continued: "I'll talk to our head coach, try to figure out, you know, what's the deal with the prize money, if I'm allowed to take it or not. "I've heard rumours that I'm allowed to take it because it's my senior spring. But I want to make sure to double check, make sure there's nothing wrong with eligibility if I take it. I don't want to get in trouble or anything."