Sabalenka Warns of Grand Slam Boycott Over Revenue Dispute
Aryna Sabalenka has stated that top tennis players may resort to boycotting grand slam tournaments to resolve their ongoing dispute with the four major events over revenue sharing. Speaking at her pre-tournament press conference at the Italian Open, Sabalenka said, "I think at some point we will boycott it, yeah. I feel like that's going to be the only way to fight for our rights."
Her comments follow a joint statement from the top 20 male and female players criticizing the prize money levels at the French Open, which starts this month. Sabalenka argued that players deserve a larger percentage of tournament revenues, emphasizing that the athletes are the main attraction. "Definitely when you see the number and you see the amount the players receiving … I feel like the show is on us," she said. "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."
Over the past year, the player group has released signed letters and public statements to the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open, arguing that players receive an unfairly low share of revenue. They have also called for contributions to welfare funds, including pension initiatives promoted by the ATP and WTA.
Iga Swiatek, the former world No. 1, offered measured criticism on Tuesday, stating, "I think we've been pretty reasonable in terms of our proposal and getting the fair share of revenue." She emphasized the need for proper communication with governing bodies. "The most important thing honestly is to have proper communication and discussions with the governing bodies so we have some space to talk and maybe negotiate. Hopefully before Roland Garros there's going to be opportunity to have these type of meetings and we'll see how they go."
Swiatek expressed uncertainty about whether players would boycott tournaments but noted that off-court issues have united top female players. "I think we have pretty clear and similar vision. But boycotting the tournament, it's a bit extreme kind of situation. I don't know. I guess we as players are here to play as individuals, and we're competing against each other. There have been situations like that, so it's really hard for me to say how it would work, if it's even there in the picture."
Sabalenka, however, believes players would stand together. "Let's see how far we can get. If it's going to take players for boycott. I feel like nowadays, we girls can easily get together and go for this because some of the things I feel like it's really unfair to the players. I think at some point it's going to get to this."
