Sinner and Sabalenka Lead Player Protest at Roland Garros

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka abruptly ended her press conference at Roland Garros as part of a 15-minute limit on media engagements, protesting against the proposed prize fund distribution. Sabalenka, along with other top players like Jannik Sinner and Iga Świątek, are demanding that a larger share of revenues from Grand Slam tournaments be distributed to the prize fund.

The 15-Minute Limit

The 15-minute limit represents the 15 percent of revenues that Roland Garros currently offers as prize money. Players feel this is insufficient and are demanding more equitable distribution. Sabalenka, who is a prominent voice in player discussions, recently stated that players might boycott a Grand Slam tournament to address the issue.

Novak Djokovic, a frequent advocate for player rights, did not participate in the protest but supports the principle behind it. Sabalenka, who is from Belarus, spent five minutes with the main television partner for an interview and then held a 10-minute press conference for print journalists before ending the English portion of her press conference to leave time for questions from journalists from her country.

“I’m here to speak to you because I respect you,” Sabalenka said. “We just wanted to state our position, and we’re united—15 minutes is better than zero. I’ve said it a thousand times today, I have great respect, but we know what’s happening here, so thank you very much.”

Player Opinions

The current women’s champion at Roland Garros, Coco Gauff, expressed pride in the players’ unified stance. Gauff stated, “I’m proud that we all managed to stand on one position.”

Italian Jannik Sinner pointed out a lack of “respect” for players, while American Taylor Fritz, currently ranked No. 8 in the world, said they felt “ignored.” Djokovic, who is not part of the action, reiterated his support for players and their rights.

The collective decision by top 20 players to limit their media engagements is a continuation of a longstanding dispute. The players met with Grand Slam tournaments last year and have had further discussions, but progress has been slower than they would like.

Players Ready to Boycott Grand Slams

The main issues players want to address are:

• The prize fund—seeking a higher ratio of prize money to revenues, recognizing players' contributions to the financial success of the tournaments, and increasing funds for lower-ranked competitors.
• Player care—how Grand Slam tournaments contribute to pension, health, and maternity funds.
• Increased consultations—players want a say in important decisions made by the Grand Slam tournaments.