Tennis champion Aryna Sabalenka has made an exploding statement. The Belarusian star shared that the players might stage a boycott if they are not paid their due percentage for Grand Slam tournaments.
The demand for a better percentage of payment at Grand Slam tournaments has been long ongoing. Tennis star and four-time Grand Slam champion Aryna Sabalenka said that players might even boycott Grand Slams if demands are not met.
The player made her stance clear at the Italian Open on Tuesday, the day she turned 28. "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", she said.
Aryna added, "I think at some point we will boycott it. I feel like that’s going to be the only way to fight for our rights."
Both Aryna and Jannik Sinner, World No 1s in their respective categories, expressed disappointment over the prize money being offered at French Open. Other top players like Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini also joined in their protest and have also supported the call for boycott.
This year, the French Open has announced the Roland Garros prize money which has seen approximately 10 percent hike. The total prize pool is €61.7 million ($72.1 million), up from €5.3 million ($6.2 million) last year, according to reports.
However, in the statement released by tennis players on Monday, they claimed that the players will receive a lower percentage of money in 2026 than they did in 2024. "Players’ share of Roland Garros tournament revenue has declined from 15.5 percent in 2024 to 14.9 percent projected in 2026", the statement mentioned.
The 2026 French Open, one of the most looked-forward-to Grand Slam events will begin on May 24, 2026 and will end on June 7, 2026.
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