Some of the world's top tennis stars, led by Italian Jannik Sinner, are demanding a larger share of revenue and more respect from Grand Slam tournaments. Sinner made these comments in Rome before his participation in the Masters 1000 tournament, following a statement by Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka, who warned that players might boycott the Grand Slams.
A group of leading tennis players and players, including top male and female competitors, have requested that Grand Slam tournaments allocate a larger portion of their revenue to prize money and player welfare. Last year, players sent two letters to tournament organizers in March and July, asking for increased prize money to represent a larger percentage of tournament income, as well as better representation in decision-making.
In their statement, several top players noted that the prize money they receive is likely to remain below 15% of tournament revenue, significantly less than the 22% they seek to align with combined ATP and WTA 1000 tournaments.
"We don't feel respected"
"This is more about respect," Sinner told the press. "I believe we give much more than we get in return, and this isn't just about the top players but all of us, in both the men's and women's competition. The top 10 men and women wrote a letter, and it's not acceptable that we're not even close to achieving the solution we desire after a year."
"In other sports, when top athletes send important letters, they get a response, if not a meeting, within 48 hours. While money is a factor, the most important thing is respect, and we simply don't feel it," Sinner added.
Boycott Not Off the Table
Sinner, who earned around 16 million euros from tournament winnings last season, did not directly confirm a willingness to boycott Grand Slam events but acknowledged the calls for such action.
"It's hard to say, I can't predict the future," he said. "However, for the first time, I feel that all players are unified and share the same viewpoint. I think this is right because without players, there are no tournaments. At the same time, we are aware of the significance of the tournaments and respect them because they have made us into great athletes."
Prize Funds Still Under Debate
Top players recently criticized the prize fund for this year's Roland Garros, which increased by 9.5%, reaching 61.7 million euros. Last year's US Open had a record fund of nearly 73 million euros, with winners in singles earning 4.3 million euros. Wimbledon increased its prize fund by 7%, reaching 62 million euros last year, while this year's Australian Open raised its fund to 64 million euros. Winners at those two tournaments earned 3.5 million and 2.15 million euros, respectively.
Sabalenka and Djokovic Support Players
Aryna Sabalenka emphasized that players would eventually have to boycott the four major tournaments to achieve their demands.
"I feel that this will be the only way to fight for our rights. We'll see how far we'll go. If necessary, players will boycott. I think that we girls can unite easily and make such a decision because some things are really unfair to players," she stated.
Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, praised Sabalenka's stand and the players' firm stance but, like Sinner, refrained from directly declaring a potential boycott.
