Tennis players' persistent dissatisfaction with Grand Slam treatment: Letter to French Open protests insufficient prize money
Top tennis players, including Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, have expressed deep disappointment with the 2026 French Open organizers regarding insufficient prize money allocation and welfare measures. This rekindles the dispute over treatment between players and major tournaments.
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- 📰 Published: May 4, 2026 at 10:27
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(Central News Agency, Paris, 3rd, Comprehensive Foreign Report) The dispute over treatment between tennis players and Grand Slam tournaments has been ongoing since last year. World-renowned players, including Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, have jointly sent a letter to the organizers of the French Open, expressing their "deep disappointment" with the prize money allocation and welfare measures for 2026.
According to AFP, almost all top tennis players jointly signed two letters last year, urging the organizers of the four Grand Slam tournaments to increase prize money, establish a player fund to improve retirement and maternity leave issues, and demand the right to participate in decisions affecting players.
These two letters aimed to achieve a 22% share of tournament revenue, aligning with the nine ATP and WTA 1000-level tour events.
In a statement, star players including world number one Jannik Sinner and world number one Aryna Sabalenka stated that the 9.5% prize money increase announced by the French Open on April 16 was insufficient.
The statement pointed out that last year's French Open revenue reached 395 million Euros, a 14% year-on-year increase. However, the total prize money only increased by 5.4%, reducing the players' share of total revenue to 14.3%.
The statement estimated that this year's tournament revenue would exceed 400 million Euros, with players' income share still remaining below 15%.
The letter also criticized the French Open for ignoring other demands from players. "The French Open's announcement does nothing to address the structural issues that players have consistently and reasonably raised over the past year."
"There has been no progress on player welfare, and no formal mechanism for player consultation at Grand Slam tournaments has been established."
Although the list of players who signed last year's letters was not disclosed, a copy of the first letter in March showed that 10 out of the top 11 female players signed it.
"It would be great if the Grand Slams were willing to talk to us, because that's how it should be, and I really don't understand why there isn't more open communication," Iga Swiatek said at the WTA Finals last November.
On the men's side, Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, and Carlos Alcaraz were among the signatories, but Djokovic reportedly did not sign the second letter issued later in the summer.
A player spokesperson stated that Djokovic also did not sign the latest joint letter this time.
Last March, the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA), founded by Djokovic in 2021, filed a series of lawsuits against almost all other tennis organizations.
In a lawsuit against the US Open organizers, the Professional Tennis Players' Association stated, "In 2024, the US Open made 12.8 million US dollars from selling a single specialty cocktail, an amount exceeding the combined prize money for the men's and women's singles champions."
The specialty cocktail, named Honey Deuce, was sold for 23 US dollars per cup during last year's tournament.
Djokovic announced his withdrawal from the Professional Tennis Players' Association in January this year. (Compiled by Qu Xiangping) 1150504
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According to AFP, almost all top tennis players jointly signed two letters last year, urging the organizers of the four Grand Slam tournaments to increase prize money, establish a player fund to improve retirement and maternity leave issues, and demand the right to participate in decisions affecting players.
These two letters aimed to achieve a 22% share of tournament revenue, aligning with the nine ATP and WTA 1000-level tour events.
In a statement, star players including world number one Jannik Sinner and world number one Aryna Sabalenka stated that the 9.5% prize money increase announced by the French Open on April 16 was insufficient.
The statement pointed out that last year's French Open revenue reached 395 million Euros, a 14% year-on-year increase. However, the total prize money only increased by 5.4%, reducing the players' share of total revenue to 14.3%.
The statement estimated that this year's tournament revenue would exceed 400 million Euros, with players' income share still remaining below 15%.
The letter also criticized the French Open for ignoring other demands from players. "The French Open's announcement does nothing to address the structural issues that players have consistently and reasonably raised over the past year."
"There has been no progress on player welfare, and no formal mechanism for player consultation at Grand Slam tournaments has been established."
Although the list of players who signed last year's letters was not disclosed, a copy of the first letter in March showed that 10 out of the top 11 female players signed it.
"It would be great if the Grand Slams were willing to talk to us, because that's how it should be, and I really don't understand why there isn't more open communication," Iga Swiatek said at the WTA Finals last November.
On the men's side, Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, and Carlos Alcaraz were among the signatories, but Djokovic reportedly did not sign the second letter issued later in the summer.
A player spokesperson stated that Djokovic also did not sign the latest joint letter this time.
Last March, the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA), founded by Djokovic in 2021, filed a series of lawsuits against almost all other tennis organizations.
In a lawsuit against the US Open organizers, the Professional Tennis Players' Association stated, "In 2024, the US Open made 12.8 million US dollars from selling a single specialty cocktail, an amount exceeding the combined prize money for the men's and women's singles champions."
The specialty cocktail, named Honey Deuce, was sold for 23 US dollars per cup during last year's tournament.
Djokovic announced his withdrawal from the Professional Tennis Players' Association in January this year. (Compiled by Qu Xiangping) 1150504
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom
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The text, images and audio-visuals of this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.