Unhappy with the prize money on offer at Grand Slams, players aren’t ruling out a potential boycott.
Former Wimbledon semi-finalist Sam Querrey believes players should boycott Grand Slams rather than complain about the prize money they receive.
Is a French Open boycott realistic?
Players aren't happy with the prize money on offer…
But what does the world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, think?
Aryna Sabalenka thinks players will boycott Grand Slams in the future
During her Italian Open press conference, Sabalenka gave her take on the Grand Slam prize money dispute.
“Definitely when you see the number, and you see the amount the players are receiving…” she said.
“I feel like the show is on us.
“I feel like without us, there wouldn’t be a tournament, and there wouldn’t be that entertainment.
“I feel like definitely we deserve to be paid more percentage.
“What can I say?
“I just really hope that all of the negotiation that we are having, we at some point are going to get to the right decision, to the conclusion that everyone will be happy with.”
The Belarusian was then asked whether she believes players would ever threaten to boycott Grand Slams.
“I think at some point we will boycott it, yeah,” said Sabalenka.
“I feel like that’s going to be the only way to kind of, like, fight for our rights.”
Sabalenka continued, explaining how much input she’s had in discussions.
“We’re trying our best, we’re doing what we can do,” she said.
“Let’s see how far we can get. If it’s going to take players to boycott.
“I feel like nowadays, we girls can easily get together and go for this because some of the things I feel like it’s really unfair to the players. I think at some point it’s going to get to this.”
Players aren’t specifically complaining about the prize money, but the percentage of revenue they receive.
After hearing the French Open prize money increased by just 9.5% from 2025 to 2026, the top players in men’s and women’s tennis released a joint statement.
What exactly did players say about the Grand Slam prize money?
“Roland Garros generated €395m in revenue in 2025, a 14% year-on-year increase, yet prize money rose by only 5.4%, reducing players’ share of revenue to 14.3%,” they said.
“With estimated revenues of more than €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 tours.
“As Roland Garros looks to post record revenues, players are therefore receiving a declining share of the value they help create.
“More critically, the announcement does nothing to address the structural issues that players have consistently and reasonably raised over the past year.
“There has been no engagement on player welfare and no progress towards establishing a formal mechanism for player consultation within Grand-Slam decision making.
“The Grand Slams remain resistant to change.
“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.”
Could the Grand Slams afford a boycott?
As with all boycotts, success is dependent on how many players commit.
If Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Coco Gauff, and other top stars threaten to skip Roland Garros, the tournament will have to respond.
Broadcasters would be hit hard by lower viewership figures, and the French Open surely cannot afford such negative publicity.
However, if only a few players agree to boycott, Roland Garros would likely ‘get away with it’.
The French Open could deal with one or two top stars missing the event, like they will when Carlos Alcaraz skips the tournament due to injury.
It remains to be seen if players threaten to boycott a Grand Slam this year, but it will certainly be a story to keep an eye on over the coming months.
The 2026 French Open begins on Sunday, May 24.
