Many players believe the prize money at Grand Slams isn’t enough, and there’s even talk of a possible boycott in response.
Sam Querrey, who once reached the Wimbledon semi-finals, says players would be better off boycotting Grand Slams instead of just complaining about how much they get paid.
But where does Aryna Sabalenka, the current world number one, stand on all this?
Aryna Sabalenka says Grand Slam boycotts are likely
Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images
Sabalenka was asked about the ongoing dispute over Grand Slam prize money during her press conference at the Italian Open.
“I feel like the show is on us. I feel like without us, there wouldn’t be a tournament, and there wouldn’t be that entertainment. I feel like definitely we deserve to be paid more percentage.”
When pressed on whether she thinks players might eventually boycott Grand Slams, Sabalenka didn’t hesitate.
“I think at some point we will boycott it, yeah,” she replied.
“I feel like that’s going to be the only way to kind of fight for our rights.”
The issue isn’t just about prize money but also about how much of the total revenue players are getting.
The top players from both men’s and women’s tennis responded by releasing a joint statement after learning that French Open prize money would rise by only 9.5% from 2025 to 2026.
What exactly did players say about the Grand Slam prize money?
“Roland Garros generated €395m in revenue in 2025, a 14% year-on-year increase, yet prize money rose by only 5.4%, reducing players’ share of revenue to 14.3%,” they said.
“With estimated revenues of more than €400m for this year’s tournament, prize money as a percentage of revenue will likely still be less than 15%, far short of the 22% that players have requested to bring the grand slams into line with the ATP and WTA tours.
“As Roland Garros looks to post record revenues, players are therefore receiving a declining share of the value they help create.
“More critically, the announcement does nothing to address the structural issues that players have consistently and reasonably raised over the past year.
“There has been no engagement on player welfare and no progress towards establishing a formal mechanism for player consultation within Grand-Slam decision making.
“The Grand Slams remain resistant to change.
“The absence of player consultation and the continued lack of investment in player welfare reflect a system that does not adequately represent the interests of those who are central to the sport’s success.”
If boycotts happen, would it even impact Grand Slams?
If Aryna Sabalenka was joined by Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Coco Gauff or others when threatening to skip Roland Garros, then tournament organisers may be forced into action.
The negative publicity is also something it can’t afford either. But there must be widespread support across both tours from top stars if this was ever considered an option.
Read more:
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Marta Kostyuk releases statement after pulling out of Italian Open
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John Isner explains why he’s not worried about Iga Swiatek’s Roland Garros chances
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Jannik Sinner closing in on Novak Djokovic’s Masters record
