3 hours ago
The French Open has go nan first expansive slam tourney to connection players a stock of nan event’s gross successful a important measurement guardant successful nan statement complete prize money.
The Guardian has learned that officials from Roland Garros made nan connection to nan players’ representative, Larry Scott, successful talks astatine Wimbledon a fortnight agone successful a move that will summation unit connected nan US Open, which is owed to denote its prize money for this year’s tourney astatine nan commencement of adjacent month.
While an statement has yet to beryllium reached, nan French Open’s willingness to perpetrate to a profit-share exemplary to find prize money is simply a awesome development, and sets Roland Garros isolated from nan 3 different expansive slam tournaments.
Debbie Jevans, chair of nan All England Club, angered nan players past period by saying that it made “no sense” to usage tourney revenues to find prize money, which led them to frighten a media boycott for nan full first week of Wimbledon, though that protestation was yet cancelled.
The French Open appears to person taken a different approach, however, pinch nan committedness to gross sharing being accompanied by a willingness to lend to subordinate pensions and wellness care, and springiness nan players a greater opportunity successful nan moving of nan tournament.
The players are seeking guarantees that each nan expansive slam tournaments will salary 16% of their gross successful prize money pinch contiguous effect, rising to 22% by 2030.
All nan expansive slam tournaments person offered important increases successful prize money successful caller years, but nan players want an agreed look based connected gross sharing alternatively than having to hold each twelvemonth for notification of nan yearly award.
The US Open is nether peculiar unit arsenic it has had longer to scope an statement pinch nan players, and nan tourney adjacent period coincides pinch nan presence of a caller main executive of nan US Tennis Association, Craig Tiley.
A number of players, including world No 1 Jannik Sinner, person threatened not to play successful nan US Open’s mixed doubles tourney that precedes nan singles astatine Flushing Meadows, if important advancement is not made.
Last twelvemonth nan US Open accrued its prize money by 21% to $85m, compared pinch $70m nan twelvemonth before, and a akin emergence this twelvemonth would spot nan players person a full prize cookware of complete $100m for nan first time.
