Top tennis players slam Roland Garros prize money, citing a shrinking share of tournament revenue
Jannik Sinner, victorious in the weekend's Madrid Open final, is one of the co-signatories to player complaints about the prize money, terms and conditions for the French Open at Roland Garros. Pic: David Ramos/Getty Images
A group of leading players including Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have expressed “their deep disappointment” at the level on prize money at Roland Garros amid a lingering dispute with Grand Slam tournament organisers.
The clay-court Grand Slam event starts later this month in western Paris. The players said they have other demands that have not been addressed by officials, including better representation, health and pensions.
The players’ call came after French Open organisers announced last month the Roland Garros prize money has increased by about 10% for an overall pot of €61.7million with the total amount up €5.3m from last year.
“Players’ share of Roland Garros tournament revenue has declined from 15.5% in 2024 to 14.9% projected in 2026,” the group of players responded in a statement Monday.
Play begins on May 24 at Roland Garros. Men’s and women’s singles champions each receive €2.8m and the runners-up €1.4m. Semi-finalists earn €750,000 and first round losers get €87,000. Men’s and women’s doubles winners pocket €600,000 and the mixed doubles champions get €122,000.
But the statement said “the underlying figures tell a very different story,” claiming that players receive a declining share of the value they contribute to generate.
“According to tournament officials, Roland Garros generated €395 million in revenue in 2025, a 14% year-on-year increase, yet prize money rose by just 5.4%, reducing players’ share of revenue to 14.3%,” they said. “With estimated revenues of over €400m for this year’s tournament, prize money as a percentage of revenue will likely still be less than 15%, far short of the 22% that players have requested to bring the Grand Slams into line with the ATP and WTA Combined 1000 events.”
French Open organisers did not immediately respond to a request for comments.
The same group of players had already signed a letter sent to the heads of the four Grand Slam tournaments last year, seeking more prize money and a greater say in what they called “decisions that directly impact us.”
The communications firm that released the statement said it was issued in the name of the original signatories to the initial letter, later adding that Novak Djokovic had not signed the new statement.
The players said they remain “united in their desire to see meaningful progress, both in terms of fair financial distribution and in how the sport is governed.” They insisted they have not received any response to their proposals on welfare, including pension and long-term health, adding that no progress has been made “on fair and transparent player representation within Grand Slam decision-making.
“While other major international sports are modernising governance, aligning stakeholders, and building long-term value, the Grand Slams remain resistant to change,” they said. “The absence of player consultation and the continued lack of investment in player welfare reflect a system that does not adequately represent the interests of those who are central to the sport’s success.”
