Tennis Players Rally for Fairer Grand Slam Revenue Share

Top-ranked players, coordinated by No. 5-ranked Jessica Pegula, have issued a collective call for Grand Slam tournaments to increase the portion of event revenue allocated to prize money. The group, which includes men’s and women’s players, sent a joint letter to the heads of the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open demanding a larger slice of revenues and a greater voice in tournament governance. The letter follows public statements by Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner suggesting a boycott if reforms are not adopted.

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Pegula notes that athletes in the NFL and NHL receive roughly 50 % of league revenues, whereas “the number isn’t even half of that” for most tennis events. At regular ATP and WTA Tour tournaments, players receive about 22 % of revenue, but Grand Slam events allocate roughly 15 % or less. The sport’s fragmented structure—four Grand Slams, the ATP, the WTA and the International Tennis Federation—complicates coordinated action.

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• Jessica Pegula – Player-leader, member of a 13-person reform panel.

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• Aryna Sabalenka – Four-time Grand Slam champion, vocal boycott advocate.

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• Jannik Sinner – World No. 1, cited “lack of respect.”

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• Coco Gauff – Top-10 player supporting the prize-money push.

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• Angelo Binaghi – President of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, backing the protest and proposing a fifth Grand Slam in Italy.

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• French Open revenue share to players: alleged < 14.9 % (down from 15.5 % in 2024) and, in a separate statement, 14.3 %.

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• Regular ATP/WTA events: ? 22 % share.

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• Roland Garros prize pool increased ~10 % to $72.1 million.

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• Wimbledon 2025 prize pool up 7 %; US Open up 20 %; Australian Open up 16 % (January 2024).

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• Italian Open 2024: men’s total $9.6 million, women’s $8.3 million; women’s champion €1.055 million (~$1.24 million) vs men’s champion €1.007 million.

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Pegula emphasized the “insane difference” between tennis and other major sports and called for a shift in the “old-school” revenue model. Binaghi declared full support for the players, labeling the Grand Slam payout structure “scandalous” and “shameful,” and expressed a desire to “blow apart this monopoly.” The French Open and Wimbledon have not issued public responses to the protest or the players’ letter.

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Sabalenka and Sinner warned that a boycott may become the only effective lever for change. Gauff echoed the demand for higher compensation. Critics note the difficulty of collective action in an individual sport and point to the Italian Open’s historic gender prize-money gap, though the 2024 women’s champion now earns slightly more than the men’s champion.

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Sources differ on the French Open’s exact player-revenue share—one cites < 14.9 % while another mentions 14.3 %. Neither the French Open nor Wimbledon have responded to inquiries, leaving the precise financial breakdown unclear.

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• “I'm not afraid to go up to any type of player and go like, 'Hey, are you interested in this or not?'” — Jessica Pegula, player-leader

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• “It's crazy. It's an insane difference,” — Jessica Pegula

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• “Silvia Lore/Getty Images Sabalenka said last week that players should consider a boycott for a bigger slice of tournament revenue, while Sinner said there's a lack of respect.” — Jannik Sinner, world No. 1

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• “I feel like that's going to be the only way to fight for our rights.” — Aryna Sabalenka, Grand Slam champion

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• “I want to blow apart this monopoly.” — Angelo Binaghi, federation president

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• “The players have our full support,” — Angelo Binaghi

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The French Open begins in less than two weeks amid ongoing protests; Wimbledon’s prize-money figures are due next month. Players have warned that a coordinated boycott could materialize if negotiations stall. In Italy, organizers plan a retractable roof for Campo Centrale, expanding capacity to 12,400 seats by 2028 and remain open to locating a fifth Grand Slam elsewhere in the country. Ticket-sale targets for the Italian Open exceed 400,000, underscoring the event’s growing commercial significance.

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