Top tennis players, both men and women, including Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenkova, issued a joint statement expressing their deep disappointment over the prize money for the upcoming French Open, amid an ongoing dispute with the Grand Slam organizers.
The clay-court tournament is due to start later this month and organizers Roland Garros have increased the total prize pool by just 10% to €61.7 million ($72.1 million). This represents an increase of EUR 5.3 million compared to last year.
However, players believe that the increase falls far short of their expectationsgiven the proceeds of the tournament. They also say their concerns, such as better representation, health support and pensions, have not been addressed by officials.
“Players’ share of Roland Garros tournament revenue has dropped from 15.5% in 2024 to a projected 14.9% in 2026,” the group said in a statement on Monday, as cited by Yahoo Sports.
Play begins on May 24 at Roland Garros. The men’s and women’s singles champions will each receive €2.8 million, while the runners-up will earn €1.4 million. The semi-finalists will take home €750,000 and the losers in the first round will receive €87,000. The men’s and women’s doubles winners will earn €600,000, while the mixed doubles champions will earn €122,000.
The increase is significantly less than the 20% increase seen at last year’s US Open. Players say that as a percentage of total revenue, the prize pool is actually decreasing.
“According to tournament officials, Roland Garros generated €395 million in revenue in 2025, a 14% year-on-year increase, but prize money grew by only 5.4%, reducing the players’ share of revenue to 14.3%,” the statement said. “With estimated revenue in excess of €400 million for this year’s tournament, prize money as a percentage of revenue is likely to remain below 15%, well below the 22% of players who demanded that the Grand Slams be aligned with ATP and WTA Combined 1000 events.”
The same group of players previously signed a letter sent to the bosses of the four Grand Slam tournaments last year, demanding higher pay and a greater role in “decisions that directly affect us”.
According to Yahoo Sports, the communications firm that issued the statement said it was issued on behalf of the original signatories of the original letter, later clarifying that Novak Djokovic did not sign the new statement.
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Published on:
04 May 2026 16:05 IST
