Tennis players plan French Open media protest over prize money dispute
Tennis players competing at the French Open are planning to limit their pre-tournament media duties this Friday in a coordinated protest against their share of the prize money.
A collective of competitors is targeting the upcoming clay-court Grand Slam after alleging their revenue portion has been reduced to just 14.3 per cent.
This figure sits in stark contrast to the 22 per cent share typically offered at other ATP and WTA events throughout the season.
Threats of a Grand Slam boycott
Top-ranked stars including Aryna Sabalenka and world number four Coco Gauff have previously voiced strong concerns regarding the ongoing financial dispute.
The high-profile pair even threatened a potential boycott of the sport’s major tournaments earlier this month if compensation levels failed to improve.
According to French newspaper L’Equipe, many participants intend to restrict their interactions with reporters to a strict 15-minute window during the traditional media day.
Organisers express disappointment
The French Tennis Federation (FFT) has expressed profound regret over the planned action in a formal statement to The Associated Press.
“This initiative penalises all stakeholders involved in the tournament: the media, broadcasters, federation staff and the entire tennis community that enthusiastically follows each edition of Roland Garros.”
Tournament organisers recently announced a roughly 10 per cent increase in the overall prize pot, bringing the total compensation to 61.7 million euros (£52.5 million).
However, competitors argue that their underlying share of tournament revenues will actually diminish despite the headline funding boost.
Demands for structural reform
The Belarusian world number two Sabalenka and Italian men’s world number one Jannik Sinner were among a group of leading athletes who issued a critical statement in May.
Beyond immediate monetary remuneration, the athletes are actively advocating for enhanced representation, improved health provisions and better pension schemes.
These broader welfare demands are aimed at all four majors, encompassing the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open alongside the Paris event.
The FFT has affirmed its commitment to ongoing dialogue and confirmed that a critical meeting with player representatives will take place on Friday.
