1 month ago
A group of nan world’s apical 20 antheral and female players, including Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, person released a associated connection expressing their disappointment astatine nan level of prize money connected connection astatine nan French Open later this month.
The apical players have been successful dispute pinch each 4 expansive slams for much than a year, arsenic they consciousness they are fixed an insufficient stock of each tournament’s expanding revenues, while they are besides calling for enhanced use and pension provisions and a greater opportunity successful determining nan schedule.
The French Open past period announced a 9.5% summation successful nan prize money astatine Roland Garros to €61.7m (£52.6m), pinch nan men’s and women’s winners to person €2.8m, but nan players stay unhappy.
The summation is importantly little than nan 20% emergence astatine nan US Open past year, while nan players declare that, arsenic a percent of revenues, nan prize money is being reduced.
“Roland Garros generated €395m successful gross successful 2025, a 14% year-on-year increase, yet prize money roseate by only 5.4%, reducing players’ stock of gross to 14.3%,” they said successful a statement.
“With estimated revenues of much than €400m for this year’s tournament, prize money arsenic a percent of gross will apt still beryllium little than 15%, acold short of nan 22% that players person requested to bring nan expansive slams into statement pinch nan ATP and WTA tours. As Roland Garros looks to station grounds revenues, players are truthful receiving a declining stock of nan worth they thief create.
“More critically, nan announcement does thing to reside nan structural issues that players person consistently and reasonably raised complete nan past year. There has been nary engagement connected subordinate use and nary advancement towards establishing a general system for subordinate consultation wrong grand-slam determination making.
“The expansive slams stay resistant to change. The absence of subordinate consultation and nan continued deficiency of finance successful subordinate use bespeak a strategy that does not adequately correspond nan interests of those who are cardinal to nan sport’s success.”
Having issued a corporate connection a number of players, including nan Americans Ben Shelton and Jessica Pegula, are expected to make further criticisms of nan expansive slams astatine nan Italian Open, which starts successful Rome this week.
