French Open players to stage media protest amid row over prize money
Players at the French Open are planning to scale back their media duties due to a row over prize money
Tennis players competing at the French Open are set to scale back their media engagements ahead of the Grand Slam, in a coordinated protest over their share of the tournament’s prize money . A collective of players has specifically targeted the upcoming clay-court event, alleging that their portion of revenue has been reduced to 14. 3 per cent, a stark contrast to the 22 per cent offered at other ATP and WTA tournaments.
Among those who have previously voiced strong concerns are top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and world No 4 Coco Gauff, who earlier this month threatened a boycott of the Grand Slams if compensation levels did not improve. French newspaper L'Equipe reported on Wednesday that many participants at Roland Garros, which commences on Sunday, intend to limit their interactions with reporters to just 15 minutes during Friday’s traditional pre-tournament media day. The French Tennis Federation (FFT), the organisers of the French Open, expressed regret over the players' action in a statement to The Associated Press.
They stated the initiative "penalises all stakeholders involved in the tournament: the media, broadcasters, federation staff and the entire tennis community that enthusiastically follows each edition of Roland Garros. " Jannik Sinner is among the top players to complain about prize money (Getty) Sabalenka, alongside fellow world No 1 Jannik Sinner, was among a group of leading players – predominantly from the top 10 – who issued a statement earlier in May conveying "deep disappointment" regarding the French Open’s prize money structure. Beyond financial remuneration, players are also advocating for enhanced representation, improved health provisions, and better pension schemes across all four Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
Last month, Roland Garros organisers announced a roughly 10 per cent increase in overall prize money, bringing the total pot to 61. 7 million euros (£52. 5 million), an uplift of 5.