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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n The battle over dollars and cents in tennis is one of the sport\u2019s constants, and it could force the unthinkable \u2013 a boycott of one of its biggest tournaments by its biggest stars.<\/p>\n It\u2019s already more than 55 years since tennis witnessed the impact of \u201cthe Original Nine\u201d \u2013 nine women who took a bold stand, signing a $1 contract that ultimately created the foundation for the WTA and shaped the livelihood of top women\u2019s stars for years to come<\/a>.<\/p>\n But in the freshest battle between the people who put on the show and the bodies that run tennis, some of the sport\u2019s biggest stars are demanding a greater share of revenue, with the next major on the calendar, Roland-Garros, firmly in their sights.<\/p>\n World No.1 Jannik Sinner, No.2 Carlos Alcaraz and Australia\u2019s Alex de Minaur, plus leading women\u2019s players Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff added their names to a statement that highlighted their anger that prizemoney is set to be less than 15 per cent of tournament revenue, well below the 22 per cent they are after to match what is on offer at ATP and WTA 1000 events.<\/p>\n Women\u2019s No.1 Sabalenka said a tournament boycott at Roland-Garros, which starts on May 24, was possible. \u201cI think at some point we will boycott it [the tournament], yeah \u2013 I feel like that\u2019s going to be the only way to fight for our rights,\u201d she said in Rome as the clay season ramps up at the Italian Open.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s see how far we can get, if it\u2019s going to take [a] boycott \u2026 some of the things, I feel like it\u2019s really unfair to the players.<\/p>\n \u201cI just really hope that all of the negotiation[s] that we are having, we at some point are going to get to the right decision \u2013 to the conclusion that everyone will be happy with.\u201d<\/p>\n Gauff, the world No.4 who lifted the Roland-Garros trophy last year, said she could \u201c100 per cent\u201d envisage players boycotting a slam.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not about me \u2013 it\u2019s about the future of our sport and also the current players who aren\u2019t getting as much benefits, maybe, as even some of the top players are getting when it comes to sponsorship and things like that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re making money off court. When you look at the [players ranked] 50 to 100, 50 to 200, [and] how much money each slam makes, it\u2019s kind of unfortunate where the 200 best tennis players are living pay cheque to pay cheque.\u201d<\/p>\n How much do the players get in Paris and at the other slams?<\/p>\n The four grand-slam events \u2013 Wimbledon, the Australian Open, the US Open, and Roland-Garros \u2013 are the pinnacle of tennis.<\/p>\n They lean on each other for collective strength, but have a real rivalry when it comes to prestige and innovation. January\u2019s Australian Open had a big winner with the hastily organised \u201c1-Point Slam\u201d, with a million-dollar prize issued to the last man or woman standing. Will new US Open chief and former AO boss Craig Tiley<\/a> bring the concept to New York this August?<\/p>\n This year Roland-Garros has bumped up its prize pool by nearly 10 per cent, with the game\u2019s stars to share in \u20ac61.7 million ($100 million).<\/p>\n They are big numbers but must be looked at through the lens of what the majors \u2013 some of the biggest annual events in world sport \u2013 generate in revenue.<\/p>\n In their statement, the top players said, \u201cThe underlying figures tell a very different story\u201d, pointing out that their revenue share has dipped. They say revenue in Paris is tipped to exceed the \u20ac400 million mark.<\/p>\n \u201c[The] players\u2019 share of Roland-Garros tournament revenue has declined from 15.5 per cent in 2024 to 14.9 per cent projected in 2026,\u201d the players said.<\/p>\n \u201cAccording to tournament officials, Roland-Garros generated \u20ac395 million in revenue in 2025, a 14 per cent year-on-year increase, yet prize money rose by just 5.4 per cent, reducing players\u2019 share of revenue to 14.3 per cent.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n But the prizemoney jump still leaves Roland-Garros trailing its rivals. The US Open offered total compensation of $US90 million ($124 million). They touted it as the biggest prize pool \u201cin tennis history\u201d \u2013 up 20 per cent on the previous year. Wimbledon paid out \u00a353.5 million and the Australian Open leapt up to $111.5 million \u2013 a year-on-year increase of 16 per cent.<\/p>\n Tennis Australia\u2019s revenue shot through the roof to nearly $700 million, a record-high that is largely driven by the success of the Australian Open. When TA announced its increase, Tiley said the boost demonstrated his organisation\u2019s \u201ccommitment to supporting tennis careers at every level\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cAll the players we have spoken to are extremely appreciative and thankful for the effort we have put into serving their needs, including the positive commentary they have made about our ongoing prizemoney increases,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n One of tennis\u2019 pitfalls is its brutal calendar of events that can drain players who crisscross the globe with regularity. Competing in the majors is the pinnacle, and why players eye-off top-100 spots and direct entry to the main draws.<\/p>\n Roland-Garros organisers are keen to give the players and spectators alike an experience that \u201ccorresponds\u201d to \u201cthe image of Roland-Garros\u201d. Tournament boss and former player Amelie Mauresmo says, for example, there won\u2019t be a repeat of the \u201c1-Point Slam\u201d in Paris.<\/p>\n \u201cOur ambition is not to repeat everything that\u2019s done elsewhere,\u201d Mauresmo said last month.<\/p>\n Crucially, players have also been promised camera-free privacy (a space of their own to vent freely) after the Australian Open copped criticism from leading players when, in a moment that went viral, Gauff was caught smashing her racquet in a corridor<\/a> after a stunning quarter-final exit. \u201cAre we tennis players or animals in the zoo,\u201d Swiatek said later.<\/p>\n How likely are the players to boycott this time? Has it happened before?<\/p>\n Strike action is the nuclear option. In advocating for collective strength, Gauff pointed to how things work differently in other sports, especially for top women athletes. \u201cJust taking what the WNBA accomplished<\/a> \u2013 they also have a union, so I think that helps,\u201d she said. \u201cFrom the things I\u2019ve seen with other sports, usually to make massive progress and things like this, it takes a union.\u201d<\/p>\n Sabalenka\u2019s comments were headline-grabbing. \u201cI feel like that\u2019s going to be the only way to kind of fight for our rights,\u201d the Belarusian superstar said.<\/p>\n But her great rival Swiatek described the idea of a boycott \u201ca bit extreme\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019ve been reasonable in terms of our proposal and getting the fair share of revenue,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the increase of prizemoney is not exactly what we wanted because the percentage of revenue is going down.\u201d<\/p>\n Player strikes have been touted before.<\/p>\n In 2011, when Andy Murray was part of men\u2019s tennis\u2019 \u201cbig four\u201d alongside Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, he opened up to the BBC about the grind of a year-long circuit.<\/p>\n \u201dI\u2019ve spoken this week to a couple of guys who work for the ITF. I think they understand now the players are kind of quite serious about doing something,\u201d Murray said at the time.<\/p>\n \u201cIt [industrial action] is a long way off, but I know because I\u2019ve spoken to a lot of the players that they\u2019re just serious now about trying to get some changes, because to get another change implemented might take five or six years at the rate it\u2019s going now, and all of us will be done.\u201d<\/p>\n Professional tennis has not been hit by strike action in the past 15 years.<\/p>\n What happens next?<\/p>\n We sit, wait and watch. It\u2019s already five years since four-time major winner Naomi Osaka withdrew in Paris<\/a> following her controversial decision to boycott mandatory post-match media conferences to protect her mental health. Amid that furore, and delicate negotiations with organisers, Osaka withdrew before her second-round match. Those events were seismic enough. A widespread player boycott, regardless of the motives \u2013 like money or conditions \u2013 would be a cage-rattler.<\/p>\n With Reuters<\/p>\n News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Aryna](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/d80b4fb77f3b5ddf2060a7f97d080146941082fb.jpeg\")
Aryna Sabalenka has come out on the front foot in the players\u2019 push.Eddie Jim<\/p>\n![\"Some](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/d72f22b2e132554282e343a9d09152d50584ed3e.jpeg\")
Some of world tennis\u2019 biggest stars, including Alex de Minaur, could yet be headed for a stunning strike.Chris Hopkins<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/fbcc60dd3d07d3647c429d0d1b3898ca2df2a3c6.jpeg\")
A pumped-up Coco Gauff in action during January\u2019s Australian Open.Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Craig](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/b018ac672688bff3f44d9d0c195702e982c681a4.jpeg\")
Craig Tiley left Tennis Australia to take on the biggest job in US tennis.Eamon Gallagher<\/p>\n![\"Roland](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/dfed3193543bf6fe265aa7f3afc8eb708bbacce0.jpeg\")
Roland Garros director and former world No.1 Amelie Mauresmo.APWhat does Roland-Garros do for the players?<\/p>\n