The ongoing dispute between the world's top tennis players and the four grand slam tournaments has intensified after WTA and ATP stars criticized Roland Garros over prize money. This year's French Open, the 125th edition of the Parisian tournament, increased prize money across the board by nearly 10% compared to last year. However, players have complained about the declining proportion of tournament revenue allocated to competitors.
Declining Revenue Share
According to the players, their share of Roland Garros tournament revenue has dropped from 15.1% in 2024 to a projected 14.9% this year. They also noted that there has been "no response to players' proposals on welfare including pension and long-term health." This continues a saga that began over a year ago when an initial letter was sent to grand slam organizers in Australia, France, Great Britain, and the United States, demanding a higher percentage of revenue and a greater say in off-field matters.
Player Unity
At the time, all 10 of the top men's players signed the letter, along with 10 of the top 11 women—only Elena Rybakina's name was absent. The players are seeking 22% of revenue, a figure they say aligns with the combined ATP and WTA 1000 events, such as the Madrid Open and the Italian Open.
"With estimated revenues of over €400m for this year's tournament," a statement read on Monday morning, "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."
Upcoming Grand Slams
Roland Garros is the next grand slam on the calendar, taking place on clay at the end of the month. The tennis circuit will then transition to grass season ahead of Wimbledon this summer, followed by hard courts for the US Open at Flushing Meadows later in the year.
