Tennis elite pauses Grand Slam protest after achieving $30m prize money boost
Top men’s and women’s tennis players including Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka have agreed to cease their public campaign for more prize money and power at Grand Slams.
It follows agreement with organisers of the four majors to establish a Grand Slam Player Council and substantial hikes in payouts since the campaign began last year.
“The players will now work directly with the Grand Slams to establish the Council, through which players themselves will be directly consulted and able to negotiate on an ongoing basis,” they said in a joint statement.
Their announcement comes after the conclusion of the last Grand Slam of the year, the US Open, where Alexander Zverev and Elena Rybakina won the singles titles.
The campaign has involved the top 10 players in both the men’s and women’s rankings, including Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Shelton and Jack Draper. Alcaraz withdrew his support earlier this month.
Sabalenka was among those to warn they could ultimately boycott the Slams if the demands of the group – advised by former WTA CEO Larry Scott – were ignored.
The players said they may resume public lobbying if the Grand Slam Player Council does not sufficiently continue the progress made so far.
What have tennis players been asking from Grand Slams?
Among their demands are that Grand Slam prize money is pegged at 22 per cent of tournament revenue, in line with leading tournaments on the ATP and WTA Tours.
They also want the majors to contribute to a welfare fund and formally consult players on any changes to the tournaments.
“This stands as a testament to the gains made possible by concerted, unified player action in an individual sport, and by constructive dialogue with the Grand Slams and tournament organizers.
“The players look to the Council to build on this progress and continue pursuing the aims not yet fully achieved. Now that a formal Council exists to carry this work forward, the public phase of the campaign led by the unified group of top players comes to a close.
“Players reserve the right to re-start the campaign should the Council fail to deliver on these aims. The players involved in the campaign will be making no further public comment as a unified group on these issues at this time.”
The group estimates that it achieved $30m extra prize money, above the previous rate of growth, as a result of the lobbying.
The Slams are yet to agree to a revenue-pegged model and that is likely to be an area of focus for the new Player Council.
The US Open became the first to make a welfare contribition, of $2m, this year. The players said they expected that figure to rise and the other majors to follow suit.