Top tennis players expand Wimbledon media protests over prize money
Leading tennis players will expand their media protests at Wimbledon next week to demand a greater share of tournament revenue, despite a record 20% increase in the total prize fund.
Competitors plan to restrict both pre-tournament press conferences and post-match appearances to just 15 minutes throughout the opening week of the championships.
This strict time limit is designed to symbolise the 15% of revenue that Grand Slam events broadly allocate to competitor compensation.
It is understood that the collective decision currently holds the backing of the majority of the world’s top 20 ranked stars.
Previous action in Paris
Similar demonstrations took place at the recent French Open, where several high-profile individuals limited their pre-tournament media availability.
Women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka notably cut short her initial press conference at Roland Garros.
Reigning major champions Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek also followed the strict ‘work to rule’ directive in the French capital.
However, 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic opted against participating in the media restriction.
Record prize fund falls short
Earlier this month, athlete representatives welcomed the All England Club’s decision to boost the tournament purse to £64.2m.
The respective singles champions will each receive £3.6m, while those exiting in the first round are guaranteed a minimum of £80,000.
Despite acknowledging the historic increase as a meaningful statement of intent, the playing cohort insists the total figure remains roughly £7m short of their expectations.
Alongside higher financial compensation, competitors are requesting mandatory contributions to a benefit pool and a stronger voice in tournament operations.
Organisers reject percentage model
Tournament officials have firmly pushed back against the idea of linking player pay directly to overall event income.
We don’t look at percentages, we don’t actually believe that is the right metric.
Deborah Jevans, chair of the All England Club, noted that significant expenses such as infrastructure and grass-court investment must be factored into the annual budget.
You cannot run a sustainable business, and we have nearly been around for 150 years, just by looking at revenue. That is just plainly wrong.
