Explosive accusation: Serena Williams’ former coach brands Roland‑Garros prize money a scandal
A dispute over prize money has become a major topic of conversation in tennis lately. On Monday, several ATP and WTA players expressed their unhappiness with the prize money at this year’s Roland Garros.
Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images A dispute over prize money has become a major topic of conversation in tennis lately. On Monday, several ATP and WTA players expressed their unhappiness with the prize money at this year’s Roland Garros. Aryna Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner and others put out a statement pointing out that while the total prize fund is set to rise for the 2026 French Open, the players’ percentage of tournament revenue will actually fall from 15.
5% to around 14. 9%. Sabalenka also suggested that players might consider boycotting Grand Slams if there aren’t changes to how prize money is distributed at the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open.
Patrick Mouratoglou, who used to coach Serena Williams, spoke about how an increase in revenue share could help lower-ranked players earn more. This isn’t the first time France’s approach to tennis payments has been criticised. Novak Djokovic has also previously called out how things are handled in France compared to other countries like Australia or England.
Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images Patrick Mouratoglou weighs in on the prize money row In a post on Instagram, Mouratoglou said: “This year, the winner of Roland Garros will win €2. 8m. The one who loses in the first round, €87,000.