World number one Aryna Sabalenkova has threatened to boycott the French Open if prize money is not increased, warning that several players could walk away from the clay-court Grand Slam if their demand for a 22 per cent increase is not met this year.
The world number one’s comments intensified the ongoing dispute between the players and Roland Garros over the distribution of prize money, despite this year’s tournament offering a 9.5 percent increase to €61.7 million.
Several top players issued a statement earlier this week pointing out that their share is likely to remain below 15 percent of tournament earnings — far less than the 22 percent they have demanded to match payouts at combined ATP and WTA 1000 events.
At the Italian Open, Sabalenka made it clear that if talks fail, a boycott may become inevitable.
“I think at some point we will boycott it, yes. I feel like that will be the only way to fight for our rights,” Sabalenka said. “We’ll see how far we can go. If it leads to players boycotting … certain things, I feel like that’s really unfair to the players.”
Despite his firm stance, Sabalenka expressed hope that the negotiations would lead to a solution acceptable to both sides.
“I just really hope that with all the negotiations that we’re having, at some point we’ll come to the right decision, to a conclusion that everyone will be happy with,” she added.
GRAND SLAM PRIZE MONEY
- Australian Open: $74.9 million
- French Open: $72.1 million
- Wimbledon: $72.59 million
- US Open: $90 million
World number four Coco Gauff supported the possibility of a boycott and emphasized the need for collective action among players.
“I would 100% see the players boycotting the Grand Slam if they made this decision together as one,” Gauff said. “It’s not about me. It’s about the future of our sport and also the current players who don’t get as many benefits.”
Gauff also highlighted the financial struggles of lower-ranked players, noting that many players between the ages of 50 and 200 continue to live paycheck to paycheck despite the sport’s growing revenue. She suggested that creating a players’ union could be the key to achieving long-term change, pointing to recent progress made by the Women’s National Basketball Association’s players’ association.
Sabalenka reiterated the opinion that players deserve a greater share of the revenues generated by the sport.
“When you see the number and you see the amount the players are getting … I feel like the show is on us. Without us, there wouldn’t be a tournament and it wouldn’t be as much fun,” she said. “I feel like we definitely deserve a higher percentage.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
May 6, 2026 00:07 IST
