French Open rocked by protest plans as players take a stand over pay row

Everything you need to know about how French Open stars will protest in a pay row ahead of the tournament

Aryna Sabalenka’s boycott threat: This media action follows statements from world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who warned that a full tournament boycott could be the ultimate weapon for players fighting for their rights. While some stars like Iga Swiatek prefer dialogue over a boycott, others like Coco Gauff and Jannik Sinner have backed collective action to address the lack of respect and player consultation.
Collective action: She has been actively urging her fellow professional tennis stars to organise and stand together against the Grand Slam organisers. Her public stance helped set the stage for the wider coalition, making her one of the headline names among the group of top-10 male and female players who signed a joint statement blasting French Open chiefs over declining revenue shares and a lack of investment in player welfare.
Protest plan: The world’s leading tennis players plan to limit their pre-French Open media commitments to exactly 15 minutes this Friday and Saturday. They intend to walk out of news conferences and broadcast interviews as soon as this time limit is reached.
The meaning behind 15 minutes: The 15-minute cap is highly intentional and symbolic of the player’s frustrations. It represents the 15% share of total revenue that Grand Slam tournaments broadly allocate toward player prize money.
Demands of the players: Top-10 male and female stars are demanding that Grand Slams increase their prize money payout to 22% of total tournament revenue by 2030. Additionally, they are seeking formal consultations on scheduling and tens of millions of dollars contributed toward pension, healthcare, and maternity benefits.
The motivation behind the tension: Although the French Open announced a base prize money increase of 9.53% for 2026, players argue their actual share of overall tournament revenue has decreased. They pointed out that their revenue percentage fell from 15.5% in 2024 to a projected 14.9% this year while the tournament generates record profits.
Lack of consultation: The players’ signed statement explicitly criticized the French Tennis Federation (FFT) for being “resistant to change” and failing to engage in dialogue regarding player welfare, scheduling, or grand slam decision-making. The French Open essentially triggered the protest by announcing its financial structure without consulting the players first.