At the French Open, some players had already cut their interviews short after 15 minutes.
The dispute over prize money continues at the grass-court classic, Wimbledon.
According to reports, some professional tennis players plan to limit their contractually agreed-upon media obligations to 15 minutes during the first week of the Grand Slam in southwest London to protest what they consider an unfair distribution of revenue. This is according to a statement released by the players’ representatives on Wednesday.
At the French Open, the action was limited to the media day before the start of the tournament. “After thorough consultations with the players on both tours, their representatives informed Wimbledon management in writing about the planned action and welcomed the 20 percent increase in prize money compared to the last edition of the tournament,” the statement said.
Wimbledon Increases Prize Money
A few weeks ago, the organizers of Wimbledon announced a significant increase in prize money. Starting June 29 on Church Road, a total of 64.2 million pounds (approximately 74.3 million euros) will be up for grabs for French Open champion Alexander Zverev and his fellow players. This represents a 20 percent increase compared to the previous year.
“It is clear to us that the players will continue to share in Wimbledon’s success as the tournament grows,” said Deborah Jevans, chair of the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
The announcement was a “significant statement of intent,” according to the new statement, but the players pointed out that this still does not correspond to the 16 percent of tournament revenue they are demanding from all Grand Slams this year.
The 15 minutes are intended to reflect “the fact that Wimbledon currently pays out slightly less than 15 percent of its revenue as prize money.”
Protests Already Underway at the French Open
In addition, the pros recalled that last summer they had proposed raising Wimbledon’s total prize money for this year to 71 million pounds (about 82 million euros).
At the French Open, about twenty players, including world No. 1s Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, adhered to the guideline.
“There has to be fairness toward the players. Not just toward the world No. 1 or the top three in the world, but also toward those ranked 250th in the world,” Zverev had said during his press conference ahead of the event at the Bois de Boulogne.