Women’s tennis stars say players “should be paid more” at Grand Slam tournaments.
Published May 6, 2026
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has said players will boycott the French Open if prize money at clay-court Grand Slam tournaments is not increased, and Coco Gauff has also voiced support for the drastic step.
Tuesday’s threat deepened the dispute between players and Roland Garros organizers over prize distribution, even though the total pot for this year’s tournament is about 10% higher at 61.7 million euros ($72.1 million), 5.3 million euros ($6.21 million) more than last year.
Several top players issued statements the day before, saying prize money would likely amount to less than 15 percent of tournament revenue, far short of the 22 percent required to match the ATP and WTA’s combined 1,000 tournaments.
Asked how far players might push their demands at the Italian Open, Sabalenka told reporters: “I think at some point we will boycott, yes. I think that will be the only way to fight for our rights.”
“If we’re going to force the players to boycott, let’s see how far we can go… In some ways I feel it’s really unfair to the players. I think we’ll get to this situation at some point.”
However, the world number one left some hopeful comments about the ongoing negotiations.
“I sincerely hope that all the negotiations that we are having will one day reach the right decision and a conclusion that satisfies everyone,” she added.
Due to the increase in prize money, Roland Garros still lags behind other Grand Slams.
Last year’s US Open had a total prize money of $90 million, Wimbledon’s prize money was $72.51 million, and this year’s Australian Open had a record $80.06 million.
Gauff calls for players to unite
Gauff, ranked fourth in the world, said it was “100 per cent certain” that she would boycott the Grand Slam tournament if the players made the decision together.
“This is not about me. This is about the future of our sport and it’s also about the current players who are not getting as much benefit as maybe even some of the top players are getting in terms of sponsorships and things like that,” Gauff said.
“We make money off the court. When you look at how much money the players from 50th to 100th and 50th to 200th make per tournament, it’s a shame in some ways that the 200 best tennis players are living paycheck to paycheck.”
Gauff also highlighted how the WNBA Basketball Players Union reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement earlier this year after nearly 17 months of negotiations, suggesting players need to form a union.
“We’re just taking what the WNBA has accomplished. They also have a union, so I think that helps,” she added.
“Based on what we’ve seen in other sports, it usually takes a union to make significant progress on something like this.”
Sabalenka said the players should receive more prize money.
“When you look at the numbers, when you look at the amount of money that the players are receiving… I feel that the show is on us. If it wasn’t for us, the tournament wouldn’t exist, that entertainment wouldn’t exist,” Sabalenka added.
“We definitely feel like we should be paid a higher percentage. What can we say?”
