Many of the world’s best tennis players have expressed their dismay regarding the prize money on offer at this year’s Roland Garros event.
A joint statement from the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner voiced players’ disappointment regarding the projected prize money as a percentage of revenue at Roland Garros this year.
This has been a long-running issue: the world’s top players have become increasingly unhappy with the prize money on offer at the four Grand Slam events.
Is a French Open boycott realistic?
Players aren't happy with the prize money on offer…
The latest dispute has led to Aryna Sabalenka suggesting that players could ‘boycott’ Grand Slam events in the future, should their concerns remain unresolved.
Madison Keys, the 2025 Australian Open champion, has now taken a bold stance regarding the matter.
Madison Keys says she is ‘ready’ to boycott Grand Slam events
“I think it is very important that players have more voice when the major decisions that concern them are made,” Keys told Eurosport France ahead of her first match at the WTA 125 Trophée Clarins tournament in Paris.
“For many years, players have been trying to sit around the table and have a discussion [with the Grand Slam organisers].
“It didn’t lead to much. Now… a large number of players have joined and agreed that if it is [a boycott] that is necessary, then we will boycott.
“I hope we won’t get that far. But it’s great to see so many players, especially the youngest, so eager to fight for all the players.”
When asked if a boycott represented more of a ‘threat’ than a concrete possibility at this stage, Keys responded by clarifying her stance on the matter.
“I think it’s one of those things we talk about until it finally happens,” she said.
“I am also ready [to boycott]. And I feel like it’s something a lot of players are willing to do.
“Seeing so many people ready to go so far on behalf of all the players, I find it inspiring.”
A number of players have also thrown their support behind a potential boycott, including Coco Gauff.
Andy Roddick, meanwhile, believes boycotting the French Open or Wimbledon at this stage in the calendar is not a feasible proposition.
Roddick claimed boycotting Roland Garros at this stage in the season would be ‘absurdly dumb’.
The joint statement from ATP and WTA players
“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%,” the group said in a statement last week, as reported by The Guardian.
“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.”
This is clearly a matter that needs to be resolved sooner rather than later.
No one wants to see the world’s greatest players boycott Grand Slam events; and the biggest losers in such a scenario would be the fans, who use their hard-earned money to travel to and witness major events.
Of course, resolving such an issue is easier said than done, and this matter, in all likelihood, will continue to remain in the public consciousness for the foreseeable future.
