Aryna Sabalenka shares her thoughts on the Grand Slam boycott as the pay dispute keeps going ahead of the French Open.
Women’s singles world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has suggested that tennis players should consider a boycott if they don’t get a bigger share of tournament earnings. Sabalenka, who has won four Grand Slams, was part of a group of 20 players — including Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic — who spoke out together on Monday, May 4.
Even though the French Open announced a 9.5% increase in prize money, reaching £52.6 million, with the men’s and women’s singles winners each getting £2.4 million, players believe they deserve more compared to the big money the four major tournaments make – the US Open, Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon.
The group released a detailed statement showing that while tournament revenue went up 14% from 2024 to 2025, prize money only rose by 5.4%. This means players’ share dropped to 14.3% of the total revenue. One part of the statement said, “With over €400 million in revenue expected for this year’s tournament, prize money will likely stay below 15% of that — much less than the 22% players have asked for to match ATP and WTA tour levels. As Roland Garros earns record money, players are actually getting a smaller slice of the earnings they help create.”
On May 5, Sabalenka spoke about this during the Italian Open, held just before the French Open. She told Sky Sports, “Without us, there wouldn’t be a tournament or the entertainment. I feel like we deserve to be paid more. I think one day we might have to boycott. That might be the only way to stand up for our rights.”
Iga Świątek, a four-time French Open winner, also shared her view: “The most important thing is to keep good communication with the organizers so we can talk and maybe reach an agreement. Hopefully, before Roland Garros, there will be a chance for these talks. But boycotting the event is quite an extreme step.”
Novak Djokovic has also spoken out before, supporting higher prize money for players in big tournaments.