PARIS – French Open gamers plan to chop again on media appearances forward of the Grand Slam to complain about their share of prize cash.
One group is already aiming to scale back participant income share to 14.3% in upcoming clay court docket tournaments (in comparison with 22% in different ATP and WTA occasions).
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 4 Coco Gauff have been among the many main athletes who earlier this month threatened to boycott the Grand Slam match except they began receiving extra pay.
L’Equipe newspaper reported on Wednesday that lots of the gamers competing in Roland Garros, which begins Sunday, will restrict their conversations with reporters to fifteen minutes throughout Friday’s conventional pre-tournament media day.
The French Tennis Federation (FFT), which organizes the French Open, mentioned in a press release to The Related Press that it regretted the actions of the gamers, which “punish all these concerned within the match, together with the media, broadcasters, federation workers, and the whole tennis neighborhood that passionately follows every Roland Garros match.”
Sabalenka and fellow world No. 1 Jannik Sinner are among the many prime gamers, most of whom are ranked within the prime 10, however he issued a press release earlier this month expressing his “deep disappointment” over the French Open prize cash.
Gamers are additionally demanding higher illustration, well being choices and pensions on the 4 Grand Slam tournaments: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open.
Roland Garros organizers introduced final month that they might enhance the prize pool by about 10%, bringing the overall pot to 61.7 million euros (about $72.1 million), a complete enhance of 5.3 million euros from final 12 months. Nevertheless, the gamers argued that “the underlying numbers inform a very totally different story” and that they might obtain a smaller share of match income.
FFT mentioned it could proceed to keep up an open dialogue, including that it had proposed a gathering with gamers and their representatives scheduled for Friday.
“FFT is able to have a direct and constructive dialogue on governance points with the goal of giving gamers a better position in decision-making, contributing to their social safety and evolving the distribution of worth, and we submitted a number of proposals on this course in the course of the assembly.”
The gamers declare that their share of Roland Garros’ income has fallen, from 15.5% in 2024 to an anticipated 14.9% in 2026. The match generated 395 million euros in 2025, a rise of 14% on the earlier 12 months, however prize cash elevated by solely 5.4% and athletes’ share of income fell to 14.3%.
“Estimated income for this 12 months’s match is greater than €400 million, however prize cash as a proportion of income is prone to nonetheless be lower than 15%, far wanting the 22% demanded by the gamers for the Grand Slam to be held along side the ATP and WTA Mixed 1000 occasions,” the gamers mentioned.
Participant pay at this 12 months’s Australian Open was elevated by 16%, and prize cash eventually 12 months’s US Open was elevated by 20%.
The Roland Garros singles winners will every obtain 2.8 million euros, a rise of 250,000 euros in comparison with 2025.
“Apart from prize cash, Grand Slam tournaments like Roland Garros generate oblique revenue by sponsorships, partnerships, exhibitions and look charges, offering gamers with particular publicity,” FFT mentioned.
“This 12 months, the French Tennis Federation additionally selected to direct a good portion of those will increase to gamers who’re eradicated early in the principle draw or qualifying rounds, a rise of greater than 11%, as a way to higher assist the gamers who rely most on match revenues for his or her season funding.”
