Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka leave press conferences early as the French Open disagreement heats up.
Top tennis stars Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, both world number ones, have been keeping their press conferences short before the French Open as part of a player protest.
Sinner, the current Wimbledon champ, spoke to the media on Friday ahead of Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam of the year. He’s the favorite to win this year’s French Open, especially with Carlos Alcaraz injured. Last year, Alcaraz beat Sinner in an epic five-set final, one of the best Grand Slam matches ever.
But this year, there’s a big disagreement between the French Open organizers and top players about prize money. Although the prize money went up by 9.5% from last year, that’s much less than the 20% increase at the US Open and nearly 16% at the Australian Open. Because of this, many leading players like Sinner, Medvedev, Sabalenka, Swiatek, and Gauff agreed to keep their press conferences to just 15 minutes. This number symbolizes the small share of revenue players usually get as prize money at Grand Slams.
Sinner explained, “It’s nothing against you reporters. We’re happy to do our duties, but we’re limiting the time. We want to bring some change, and it’s about respect. It’s not just about prize money, but also pensions and having a say in decisions like match start times.”
Sabalenka also showed respect to the media but stayed firm on the protest. “Fifteen minutes is better than zero. The issue isn’t about me — it’s about lower-ranked players who struggle to make a living. As world number one, I feel responsible to stand up for them.”
Not all top players joined the protest; Novak Djokovic wasn’t involved in the talks but supports the cause, saying he’s always stood up for players’ rights and better futures.
Iga Swiatek, another protest participant, said, “We want the tournament to do more, not just for us but also for lower-ranked players. We respect the media but will stick to our decision.”
Coco Gauff also kept close to the 15-minute limit, telling reporters, “Sorry, I have to go,” once her time was up. She called this their first real action together and said she’s proud they’re united on this.
Overall, the players are standing together to push for fairer treatment and better pay in tennis, especially for those who don’t earn as much.