Tennis stars Sinner, Sabalenka and Gauff criticise Roland Garros prize money

A group of leading tennis players, including Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, have expressed “their deep disappointment” at the prize money on offer at Roland Garros during a lingering dispute with Grand Slam tournament organisers.

The clay court Grand Slam event starts on May 24 in Paris. The players said they have other demands that have not been addressed by officials, including better representation, healthcare and pensions.

The players’ call came after French Open organisers announced last month that the Roland Garros prize money increased by about 10 percent for an overall pot of 61.7 million euros ($72.1m), up by 5.3 million euros ($6.2m) from last year.

“Players’ share of Roland Garros tournament revenue has declined from 15.5 percent in 2024 to 14.9 percent projected in 2026,” the group of players responded in a statement on Monday.

The French Open men’s and women’s singles champions each receive 2.8 million euros ($3.27m) and the runners-up 1.4 million euros ($1.63m). Semifinalists earn 750,000 euros ($878,383), and first-round losers get 87,000 euros ($101,897). Men’s and women’s doubles winners pocket 600,000 euros ($702,739), and the mixed doubles champions get 122,000 euros ($142,882).

But the statement said “the underlying figures tell a very different story,” claiming that players receive a declining share of the value they contribute to the tournament.

“According to tournament officials, Roland Garros generated 395m euros ($462m) in revenue in 2025, a 14 percent year-on-year increase, yet prize money rose by just 5.4 percent, reducing players’ share of revenue to 14.3 percent,” they said.

“With estimated revenues of over 400m euros ($468m) for this year’s tournament, prize money as a percentage of revenue will likely still be less than 15 percent, far short of the 22 percent that players have requested to bring the Grand Slams into line with the ATP and WTA Combined 1000 events.”

The same group of players had already signed a letter sent to the heads of the four Grand Slam tournaments last year, seeking more prize money and a greater say in what they called “decisions that directly impact us”.

The players said they remain “united in their desire to see meaningful progress, both in terms of fair financial distribution and in how the sport is governed”.

They insisted they have not received any response to their proposals on welfare, including pensions and long-term healthcare, adding that no progress has been made “on fair and transparent player representation within Grand Slam decision-making”.

“While other major international sports are modernising governance, aligning stakeholders, and building long-term value, the Grand Slams remain resistant to change,” they said.

“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.”