Number 1 Sabalenka calls for boycott if players don’t get bigger cuts…

Top-ranked tennis player Aryna Sabalenka believes that tennis players should organize a boycott if they do not start receiving a larger share of the revenues of Grand Slam tournaments – and players such as Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini are also ready to protest.

Sabalenka and fellow No. 1 player Jannik Sinner were among the top players – most of whom ranked in the top 10 – who released a statement on Monday expressing “deep disappointment” over their French Open prize money.

“Without us there wouldn’t be a tournament and there wouldn’t be that entertainment. I feel like we definitely deserve to be paid a higher percentage,” Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, said at the Italian Open on Tuesday.

“I think sooner or later we will boycott it. I feel it will be the only way to fight for our rights,” Sabalenka added on her 28th birthday.

Players are also seeking better representation, healthcare options and pensions from the four Grand Slam tournaments: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open.

French Open organizers announced last month that they would increase overall prize money by about 10% to a total prize pool of 61.7 million euros ($72.1 million), with the total amount rising by 5.3 million euros compared to last year. But the players’ statement said “the underlying figures tell a very different story,” claiming they will receive a smaller share of the tournament’s revenue.

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Players say their share of Roland Garros revenue has fallen from 15.5% in 2024 to an expected 14.9% in 2026. [AP]

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