A growing dispute over prize-money allocation at the French Open is set to spill into public view during Roland Garros, with several leading tennis players preparing a coordinated media protest ahead of the tournament. According to reports from French outlet LโEquipe, a number of top players intend to sharply reduce the length of their press conferences during Fridayโs official media day. The move is being viewed as a symbolic demonstration against what players believe is an increasingly uneven distribution of revenue at Grand Slam events.
Some of the sportโs biggest figures are understood to be involved in wider discussions surrounding player compensation and welfare. That group reportedly includes Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner and Coco Gauff, all of whom have been pressing tournament organisers for a larger financial share and stronger representation in decision-making matters.
Notably, the tensions have intensified around Roland Garros after claims that the tournamentโs player revenue share sits at roughly 14.3 percent. Players have pointed to ATP and WTA combined events, where distributions are believed to be closer to 22 percent.
The French Open recently confirmed that total prize money for the 2026 tournament would rise by 9.5 percent, taking the overall purse to โฌ61.7 million. Despite the increase, players remain dissatisfied, arguing that commercial revenues generated by Grand Slam tournaments have expanded much faster than prize-money growth.
“With estimated revenues of over 400 million euros 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,” the players said.
French Tennis Federation to meet players representatives soon
Meanwhile, the protest is not expected to escalate into a media boycott. Instead, players are reportedly planning to fulfil mandatory obligations while avoiding additional appearances and limiting interview durations. Reports also suggest that players have reviewed tournament rules carefully to ensure they remain within regulatory requirements.
The French Tennis Federation acknowledged the situation and confirmed that conversations with player representatives are expected during the event.
“The FFT is ready for direct and constructive discussions on governance issues, with the aim of giving players a greater role in decision-making, contributing to players’ social protection, and evolving the distribution of value, and it put forward several proposals in this direction during the meeting,” the FFT told Associated Press.
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