Novak Djokovic, the top-ranked tennis player, has addressed the growing concerns about the prize money at the French Open, Roland Garros, and the potential boycott by players. Before the start of the "Masters" tournament in Rome, the Serbian player openly shared his thoughts on the matter.
Tennis players have expressed dissatisfaction with the prize money at Roland Garros, which accounts for only 14% of the tournament's total revenue. Leading players like Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Świątek, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, and others have hinted at a possible boycott of the second Grand Slam tournament of the season.
"Players know they always have my support. New generations are coming, and I am glad to see the leadership among our sport, like Sabalenka, stepping forward and truly understanding how tennis politics works, recognizing the nuances and what really needs to be done – not just for their own benefit, but for the good of all. We are all part of the same sport. We all strive to elevate tennis, whether it's players, tournaments, or governing bodies. Unfortunately, there are often conflicting interests that some people do not want to confront. I believe this is where players have real power," Djokovic stated during a press conference in the Eternal City.
Djokovic is known for his advocacy for better conditions for players, especially those with lower rankings. "Honestly, I am looking at this from the outside now. I haven’t been involved in those meetings or discussions. But my position is very clear: I support the players and will always support a stronger position for players in the entire ecosystem."
He founded the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA) to address these issues. "I like that this is being talked about more. It needs to be discussed because the players' position is not where it should be regarding Grand Slam tournaments and other tournaments. That's why I am a co-founder of PTPA. This was my deeper and more significant search for solutions outside the system because the system is set up in a way that it doesn’t benefit players at all levels."
"The dream is for all players to be able to live off tennis. In PTPA, we conducted studies on how many singles and doubles players actually live off this sport. That number is very small. When we say 'living off the sport,' we mean that after covering all expenses, travel, equipment, and more, you have money for savings or investments. Very few can achieve that," Djokovic emphasized. "Ultimately, this will always be an open debate. Tennis, like every major global sport, is a big business. It's not simple and needs to be approached from all sides with a willingness to collaborate. Also, the monopoly in our sport is very strong."
The world's best player highlighted that players have little power in the ATP Council. "I was there, I was the president for many years. From the outside, it might look like there is power because players elect representatives, there is a board of directors and a whole structure, but everything is designed so that they cannot truly get what they want. That’s why the best players are uniting and trying to negotiate directly with the Grand Slam tournaments, and I think that’s the right way. We need to find ways for players to benefit."
