World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has said tennis players should consider boycotting Grand Slam tournaments if they do not receive a larger share of tournament revenues.

The four-time champion spoke to reporters at the Italian Open, where she addressed the situation.

"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," Sabalenka said.

"I think at some point we will boycott it. I feel like that's going to be the only way to fight for our rights," Sabalenka added on her 28th birthday.

Sabalenka's comments come ahead of the French Open, which begins on May 18.

While the organizers stated last month that they would increase the overall prize money by about 10% (5.3 million euros) for an overall pot of 61.7 million euros ($72.1 million), a statement headlined by Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and others suggests "the underlying figures tell a very different story."

According to the players, they will receive a smaller share of revenue at Roland Garros than last year, down from 15.5% in 2024 to 14.9% in 2026. Comparing the prize money across all four Grand Slam tournaments contextualizes the players' concerns.

The U.S. Open offered $90 million last year, while Wimbledon paid out 53.5 million pounds ($72.51 million) and the Australian Open a record A$111.5 million ($80.06 million) this year.

Players have argued that the Roland Garros increase does not match the revenue growth seen at other Grand Slam tournaments.

Apart from Aryna Sabalenka, other notable WTA players shared similar sentiments on this matter, including the reigning French Open champion, Coco Gauff.

Coco Gauff Wants the Players to Form a Union

Gauff has suggested that players must form their own union, taking a cue from the WNBA's playbook. There, the players' union (WNBPA) reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement earlier this year after nearly 17 months of negotiations.

"It's not about me. It's about the future of our sport and also the current players who aren't getting as much benefits, maybe, as even some of the top players are getting when it comes to sponsorship and things like that," Gauff said.

"Just taking what the WNBA accomplished. They also have a union, so I think that helps," she added.

The reigning Roland Garros champion also showed empathy for lower-ranked players, suggesting that while the world's top players live comfortably, they live from one paycheck to the next.

Apart from revenue, the players also wish to seek better representation, health options, and pensions from the four Grand Slam tournaments.

The French Open starts on May 24. The singles champions will each receive 2.8 million euros, and the runners-up 1.4 million euros. Semifinalists earn 750,000 euros, and first-round losers are set to receive 87,000 euros.

So, would you like to see the players boycott Roland Garros?

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Siddharth Rawat