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Jannik Sinner has criticised the Grand Slam tournaments for inaction over “player welfare benefits” and increased prize money despite requests from the world’s top players.According to the Guardian, world No. 2 Sinner was among a group of top-10 players involved in talks with tournament executives at the French Open and Wimbledon this year.Proposals were reportedly submitted by players, but the tournaments said talks cannot be held until a separate legal case brought by the Professional Tennis Players Association has been resolved.
Further detailed proposals for revised prize money at Grand Slams were reportedly submitted in August but did not receive a firm response.
“We had good conversations with the Grand Slams at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, so it was disappointing when they said they cannot act on our proposals until other issues are resolved,” Sinner told the Guardian.
“Calendar and scheduling are important topics, but there is nothing stopping the Slams from addressing player welfare benefits like pensions and healthcare right now.
“The Grand Slams are the biggest events and generate most of the revenue in tennis, so we are asking for a fair contribution to support all players, and for prize money that better reflects what these tournaments earn.
“We want to work together with the Slams to find solutions that are good for everyone in tennis.”
The Guardian reports that the ratio of prize money to overall tournament income at the four Grand Slams is around 12% to 15%, compared to 22% on the ATP and WTA tours.
The total prize pot at Wimbledon this year was £53.55m, with the singles champions each earning £3m, a rise of £300,000 from last year.
Players who made the first round earned £66,000, which increased to £99,000 for the second round.
At the 2025 US Open, the prize money was up 20% in total from 2024.
World No. 3 Coco Gauff was reportedly among a group of players who signed a letter sent to the four Grand Slams in March asking for an increase in prize money.
“For the long run of our sport and kind of the whole ecosystem, I think that it’s really important,” said Gauff about the request in October.
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“They have been working with us behind the scenes on finding a solution, but I don’t know when it’s going to happen.
“We’re not talking about just raising the prize money for the champion, but also trickling all the way down. We kind of want them to invest more in the tour as a whole, not only when it comes to prize money, but the wellbeing of players.
“Our 200th best player, our 300th best player is struggling to make ends meet. I don’t know if it will happen in my career lifetime where it reaches that, but I want to leave this sport better than I found it.”
Novak Djokovic, who co-founded the PTPA, said there was “room for improvement” over prize money despite the lofty increase for 2025 at the US Open.
“Look, it’s a step in the right direction,” he said. “Obviously, it’s always nice and positive to see that Grand Slams are willing to improve the prize money overall across the board for the players.
“Whether it’s an ideal situation for us, I think overall I don’t think so. I think there is still a lot more room for improvement in that sense.”
The 24-time Grand Slam champion also said that the benefits of increased prize money need to be seen lower down the tennis pyramid rather than just at the top.
“I see that in the past when I talk about this topic, people like to say, ‘well, look at him, wanting more money for himself’. It’s not about that.
“I’m just talking about overall. Not many tennis players live out of this sport globally. That’s not something that I see has been talked about enough.
“It’s also important to understand that we live in a very commercial world. Entertainment and sports business are very big.
“And for Grand Slams, they are doing very well as well. So the US Open increased the prize money. Other Slams are doing it too. But they also have a bigger revenue than the previous year.
“Then there is the inflation part, which is a completely different topic, but important to take in consideration when you talk about these things. Overall, it’s definitely a positive step.”
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