Group Release Joint Statement Over Pay Concerns
A collective of the world’s leading male and female tennis players, featuring Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka, and Coco Gauff, have issued a joint statement voicing their dissatisfaction with the prize money allocated for the upcoming French Open scheduled later this month.
These top-ranked players have been united in their stance against all four Grand Slam tournaments for over a year, contending that their share of the tournaments’ growing revenues is inadequate. Additionally, they are advocating for improved welfare and pension benefits, alongside a more substantial role in shaping the tennis calendar.
Last month, the French Open announced a 9.5% increase in prize money at Roland Garros, bringing the total to €61.7 million (£52.6 million), with the champions of both the men’s and women’s singles set to receive €2.8 million each. Despite this increase, the players remain dissatisfied.
The prize money rise is notably lower than the 20% increase seen at the US Open in the previous year. The players argue that, relative to total revenues, the prize fund is effectively shrinking.
“Roland Garros generated €395m in revenue in 2025, a 14% year-on-year increase, yet prize money rose by only 5.4%, reducing players’ share of revenue to 14.3%,” they stated.
“With estimated revenues of more than €400m for this year’s tournament, prize money as a percentage of revenue will likely still be less than 15%, far short of the 22% that players have requested to bring the grand slams into line with the ATP and WTA tours. As Roland Garros looks to post record revenues, players are therefore receiving a declining share of the value they help create.
“More critically, the announcement does nothing to address the structural issues that players have consistently and reasonably raised over the past year. There has been no engagement on player welfare and no progress towards establishing a formal mechanism for player consultation within grand-slam decision making.
“The grand slams remain resistant to change. The absence of player consultation and the continued lack of investment in player welfare reflect a system that does not adequately represent the interests of those who are central to the sport’s success.”
Following the collective statement, several players, including Americans Ben Shelton and Jessica Pegula, are anticipated to voice additional criticisms of the Grand Slam tournaments during the Italian Open, which commences in Rome this week.
