Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff Suggest Grand Slam Boycott Over Prize Money Share

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has threatened a potential boycott of Grand Slam tournaments if players continue to feel they aren’t being paid what they deserve. Sabalenka’s comments come a day after a group of top ATP and WTA players sent a letter over the weekend expressing “deep disappointment” in the French Open’s prize money pool, saying their pay didn’t reflect the increase in projected tournament revenue.

“Without us there wouldn’t be a tournament and there wouldn’t be that entertainment,” Sabalenka said Tuesday at an Italian Open press conference. “I think at some point we will boycott it. I feel like that’s going to be the only way to fight for our rights.

” “I feel like nowadays, we girls can easily get together and go for this because of some of the things I feel like it’s really unfair to the players. I think at some point it’s going to get to this,” Sabalenka continued. Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina, the defending French and Australian Open champions, respectively, were both in support of a possible boycott as well.

Gauff said at the Italian Open Tuesday that she could “100% see” a boycott happening if players “collectively agree on it. ” She also said she thinks “few players” also agree with Sabalenka’s sentiment. “It’s not about me.