NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
Tennis star Aryna Sabalenka said she thinks players should organize a boycott of Grand Slam tournaments if they don’t start getting a bigger share of tournament revenue.
Sabalenka, who is the world’s No. 1-ranked player, and men’s world No. 1 Jannik Sinner were among a group of highly ranked players who issued a statement regarding the French Open prize money.
“Without us there would be no tournament and no entertainment. I feel like we definitely deserve to be paid a higher percentage,” Sabalenka said Tuesday at the Italian Open.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts during her women’s singles round of 32 match against Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia at the Wuhan Open 2025 in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, 8 October 2025. (Wuhan Open 2025 Official/VCG via Getty Images)
“I think at some point we will boycott it. I feel like that will be the only way to fight for our rights.”
Players are also seeking better representation, health and pension options from the four Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
The total prize money for the French Open increased this year, with a 10% increase for a total jackpot of 61.7 million euros ($72.1 million), with a total prize pool of 5.3 million euros more than last year. While the pot has increased, players say they are seeing less revenue from the tournament than last year.
The players claim their share of Roland Garros revenue has fallen from 15.5% in 2024 to a projected 14.9% in 2026, and in their statement they said the underlying figures tell a different story.
The players’ statement said Roland Garros generated €395 million in revenue in 2025, a 14% year-on-year increase, but prize money increased by only 5.4%, reducing the players’ share of revenue to 14.3%.
ZERO BS. ONLY DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts against Amanda Anisimova of the United States during the women’s final of the US Open tennis championships in New York on September 6, 2025. (Yuki Iwamura/AP)
“With estimated revenue of more than €400 million for this year’s tournament, prize money as a percentage of revenue will likely remain below 15%, well below the 22% that players have requested to align the Grand Slams with the ATP and WTA Combined 1000 events,” the players said.
This year’s Australian Open increased player compensation by 16%, and last year’s US Open prize money increased by 20%.
Defending French Open champion Coco Gauff cited the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement as inspiration.
“From things I’ve seen in other sports, generally to make massive progress and things like this, it takes togetherness,” Gauff said. “We have to unionize somehow.”
“We can definitely make more progress as a collective.”
AMERICAN TENNIS STAR COCO GAUFF SAYS SHE RECEIVED RACIST MESSAGES FROM PLAYERS AFTER LEAVING THE MADRID OPEN
Coco Gauff of the United States reacts during the women’s singles fourth round match against Linda Noskova of Czechia at the Mutua Madrid Open on April 27, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Alberto Gardin/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Gauff said he hasn’t heard any discussion of a strike, but said he could “100%” see one happening if “everyone moved as one.”
“I definitely think there’s a consensus that this needs to be addressed for all players at all levels, especially lower-ranked players as well,” Gauff added. “I want to leave the sport better than I found it. If I can say I did my part when I retire, that’s something I can be proud of.”
Jasmine Paolini, the Italian who reached the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon in 2024, said the WTA and ATP Tours do more than the Grand Slams to provide players with benefits such as maternity leave and retirement plans.
“There are a lot of things that the Slams are not doing,” Paolini said, “that the WTA and I think the ATP are doing.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pak Gazette APP
Jasmine Paolini of Italy reacts while playing against Hailey Baptiste of the USA during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid on April 25, 2026. (Pablo García/AP Photo)
He also said a boycott is an option.
“If we’re all on board and I think we are (men and women are united right now) it’s something we could do,” Paolini said.
The French Open begins on May 24 and the individual champions will each receive €2.8 million and the runners-up €1.4 million. The semi-finalists win 750,000 euros and the losers of the first round 87,000 euros.
