The prize money at Grand Slam tournaments is infuriating tennis stars. Now they are stepping up the pressure.
Tennis stars led by the two world No. 1s, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, have once again stepped up the pressure on Grand Slam tournaments in the fight for higher prize money. As reported by the AFP news agency, the pros expressed their “deep disappointment” in a letter to the organizers of Roland Garros regarding the planned prize money for the upcoming French Open (May 18 to June 7).
Last year, nearly all top players had already signed two similar letters addressed to the organizers of the Grand Slam tournaments. In those letters, they had demanded an increase in prize money, contributions to a fund to improve pension and maternity benefits, and a say in decision-making. The letters set the goal of passing on 22 percent of the proceeds to the players, as is the case with the nine 1000-level tournaments.
Tennis stars disappointed
Accordingly, Roland Garros’ announcement to raise prize money by 9.5 percent is insufficient. The French Open reportedly generated 395 million euros last year, representing a 14 percent increase. However, the prize pool rose by only 5.4 percent, meaning the players’ share of revenue dropped to just 14.3 percent. This year, too, the professionals’ share is likely to remain below 15 percent.
The letter also criticized Roland Garros for ignoring the other issues raised by the players. “The announcement in no way addresses the structural problems that the players consistently and justifiably raised last year,” it stated.
