French Open – Ahead of Roland Garros, players are planning to curb media appearances to press for a bigger share of prize money, arguing their revenue cut is not matched by the prize-pool rise. The French tennis federation says it regrets the plan and is set to meet players
PARIS — On the eve of the French Open, a fight over money is spilling into the microphone time.
With Roland Garros set to begin Sunday on the clay. a group of players are planning to reduce media appearances to protest the share of prize money they say they are being offered. The target is the tournament’s traditional pre-event media day on Friday. with many players planning to limit conversations with reporters to 15 minutes.
The complaint centers on what the players believe is an unfair split of revenue. They are alleging their share of Roland Garros income has fallen to 14.3 per cent — compared with 22 per cent at other ATP and WTA events. Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and No. 4 Coco Gauff were among the players who threatened a boycott of the slams earlier this month if they did not start receiving more compensation.
Sabalenka, along with fellow No. 1 Jannik Sinner, were part of the same group of leading names — mostly ranked inside the top 10 — who issued a statement earlier this month expressing “deep disappointment” over French Open prize money.
The French tennis federation (FFT), which organizes Roland Garros, has pushed back hard. In a statement to The Associated Press. it said it regrets the players’ initiative “which penalizes all stakeholders involved in the tournament: the media. broadcasters. federation staff and the entire tennis community that enthusiastically follows each edition of Roland Garros.”.
The players say the dispute goes beyond headline numbers. They are seeking better representation, health options and pensions from the four Grand Slam tournaments: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open.
Roland Garros organizers announced last month they were increasing overall prize money by about 10 per cent, bringing the overall pot to 61.7 million euros (US$72.1 million). The total is up 5.3 million euros from last year. But players argue the increase masks a smaller slice for them.
“The underlying figures tell a very different story,” the players said, claiming they will receive a smaller share of tournament revenues.
They point to a drop in their projected share of Roland Garros revenue: from 15.5 per cent in 2024 to 14.9 per cent projected in 2026. They also say the event generated 395 million euros in 2025. a 14 per cent year-on-year increase. yet prize money rose by just 5.4 per cent. reducing players’ share of revenue to 14.3 per cent.
“With estimated revenues of over 400 million euros for this year’s tournament. prize money as a percentage of revenue will likely still be less than 15 per cent. far short of the 22 per cent that players have requested to bring the Grand Slams into line with the ATP and WTA Combined 1000 events. ” the players said.
The players’ demands come with comparative examples. They noted that the Australian Open this year increased players’ compensation by 16 per cent, while the U.S. Open prize money last year went up by 20 per cent.
On the money that players will receive directly at Roland Garros, organizers say the singles champions will each get 2.8 million euros — an increase of 250,000 euros compared with 2025.
The FFT argues the value of a Grand Slam extends beyond prize money. “Beyond the prize money, a Grand Slam tournament like Roland Garros offers players exceptional exposure, generating indirect income through sponsorships, partnerships, exhibitions and appearance fees,” the federation said.
It also says the prize-pool rise has been directed in part toward those who do not reach the later rounds. “This year the French Tennis Federation also chose to direct a significant portion of these increases toward players eliminated in the early rounds of the main draw and qualifying rounds. with increases of more than 11 per cent. in order to better support those who depend most on tournament earnings to finance their season.”.
Still, the immediate dispute is set to play out during the tournament’s media week. The players’ plan to cap interviews at 15 minutes on Friday comes as the FFT says it intends to keep talking.
The federation said it will continue to maintain an open dialogue. adding that it proposed a meeting expected to take place Friday with the players and their representatives. “The FFT is ready for direct and constructive discussions on governance issues. with the aim of giving players a greater role in decision-making. contributing to players’ social protection. and evolving the distribution of value. and it put forward several proposals in this direction during the meeting. ” it said.
For players arriving in Paris, the timing is hard to miss: they want the spotlight reduced as they press for a bigger share of the money the sport earns on their backs, while the organizers insist the bigger picture — and the promise of talks — should come first.
French Open Roland Garros prize money Aryna Sabalenka Coco Gauff Jannik Sinner FFT media protest tennis