Jannik Sinner to join a unique protest at the French Open
Jannik Sinner, the world number one and four-time major winner, is teaming up with over 20 of tennis’s biggest stars for a special walkout during the French Open. After Carlos Alcaraz’s long-term injury, Sinner is leading the charge for another grand slam win. He’s also part of a group of players protesting how prize money is split.
This group, which includes Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka, has been in disagreement with all four grand slam tournaments for the past year. They believe the amount players earn just isn’t fair. Now, with prize money still falling short in their eyes, they plan to walk out of their French Open press conferences.
The main issue is that players only get 15% of the money made from grand slams. The French Open recently raised the prize pot to £52.6 million, with £2.4 million each for the men’s and women’s singles winners. Although this sounds like a lot, especially for Sinner who recently set six records in Italy, the players feel they deserve more for their hard work.
As a way to protest, players will leave their press conferences after 15 minutes under a “work-to-rule” plan. This is allowed by tournament rules since players are only required to do short interviews, and full press conferences are mainly for the media.
According to The Guardian, the players want to show tournament organizers their real value and start talks about better prize money, improved support, pension plans, and tournament schedules. They hope to raise their share to 22% of the revenue.
Sinner said a full boycott feels too strong, but women’s number one Sabalenka thinks skipping tournaments is the only way to fight for their rights. “We give so much more than we get back,” Sinner said in Rome recently. “It’s not just about top players — it’s about all of us. I think this is the first time players really feel united.”
The protest walkout at the French Open is planned for May 21.