The top-ranked American men’s tennis players, Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton, have joined Jannik Sinner in calling for more prize money from the four grand slam tournaments and criticising the lack of progress in discussions on player welfare.
Leading players from the men’s and women’s top 10 sent proposals to the grand slams in August, outlining a series of reforms following meetings at Roland Garros and Wimbledon over the summer. The players were not satisfied with the response to the letter, and a request for further meetings at the US Open was refused, with the matter of an ongoing legal case, filed separately by the Professional Tennis Players Association, cited as why talks could not be held.
The players are demanding a greater share of the revenues generated by the four grand slam tournaments at the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open, arguing that the ratio of between 13 and 15 per cent is too low and should be closer to the 22 per cent received at events on the ATP and WTA Tour with equal prize money, such as Indian Wells and the Italian Open. Players are also asking the grand slams to start contributing to a player welfare fund, supporting pensions, healthcare and maternity leave, and for more consultation with tournaments around matters such as scheduling.
The proposals were initially raised in a first letter in March and Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff were among the players to meet with the grand slams at Roland Garros. However, the delay in talks since August has led to players voicing their frustration in public. Sinner told The Guardian on Tuesday that the lack of response from the grand slams was “disappointing”, with men’s No 4 Fritz and No 6 Shelton outlining to The Independent their support for the proposals and the “united” front the players have now turned to. More top stars are expected to speak out before the end of the season.
“I signed both letters because this is the first time ATP and WTA players have come together like this, and we need to stay united on issues that affect every professional player,” Shelton said. “We sent clear proposals to the grand slams in the summer, but they have not responded positively. I’m not sure why, because I think the proposals we submitted were very fair and realistic.
“When you look at prize money as a percentage of revenue, tennis players are at the bottom compared to other major sports. The NBA, NFL, and other leagues share around 50 per cent of revenue with players, while at the grand slams we’re talking about averages in the low teens. The biggest combined ATP and WTA events are over 20 per cent.
“I hope people realise that this isn’t about more money for those of us in the top 10. It’s about players having a voice, the slams contributing to pensions and healthcare, and increasing the prize money so all players get a fair share of the success of the tournaments.”
This season’s US Open offered the largest purse in grand slam history, with prize money rising by 21 per cent to £63.8m. Carlos Alcaraz and Sabalenka won around £3.8m each for lifting the men’s and women’s singles titles. Wimbledon’s total prize money increased by seven per cent, to £53.5m, with a record £3m for the singles champions, while the £66,000 for first-round losers saw a 10 per cent increase on the previous year. Wimbledon’s total prize money has doubled over the last decade, amid wider investment in improving facilities and services for players.
The players argue, however, that they should still receive a greater share. In 2024, Wimbledon’s prize fund of £50m was 12.3 per cent of the tournament’s total revenue of £406.5m, although the Championships also invests significant sums into supporting the wider grass-court season in the UK. The top stars also they want overall prize money to increase at all grand slam events in order to support lower-ranked players, who often rely on early round prize money at the biggest tournaments to cover their travel and expenses on tour throughout the season.
Additionally, there is a desire for the grand slams to start making annual contributions to player welfare funds. The ATP and WTA contribute $80m (£60m) annually to benefits covering pensions, maternity pay and health care, but the grand slams do not. Players also want more consultation on decisions affecting them, such as in-tournament scheduling and rule changes. The expansion of the Australian Open, Roland Garros and US Open to 15-day events is among the issues highlighted.
It comes amid ongoing concerns with the tennis calendar, which the grand slams are attempting to address as they push for a streamlined circuit of premium events in their own conversations with the ATP and WTA. Reducing player burnout due to the growing length and number of tournaments, a major talking point in recent weeks, and introducing a longer off-season to aid recovery are seen as priorities in those discussions. The players believe both conversations, regarding a greater share of grand slam revenues and future reforms of the tennis calendar, can progress simultaneously.
"Firstly, this isn’t just about prize money,” Fritz told The Independent. “It’s about players being consulted on the decisions which affect them and also how player welfare benefits – like pensions and healthcare – are funded.
“On the issue of prize money, I get it. Those of us who signed the letters are very well paid. But it’s not about top 10 players. I know as well as anyone how difficult it can be for those players because no one turns pro and goes straight into the top 10.
“Like a lot of sports, tennis – and the slams in particular – has seen huge revenue growth since we came out of lockdown. All we are asking is that prize money as a share of revenue at the slams is in line with what it is at the biggest ATP and WTA events.
“The issues around scheduling are well documented and just as important, but separate. I just hope we can get some progress with the slams because our proposals are very fair and doable.”
All four grand slam tournaments were contacted for comment and a spokesperson for the All England Club, which operates Wimbledon, said: “Our position continues to be that we are always open to having constructive discussions to achieve the best possible outcome for the future success of our sport and for the benefit of our players and fans. We have been in regular dialogue with the players and their representatives to hear their feedback and these conversations will continue.”
The Professional Tennis Players Association, an organisation set up by Novak Djokovic in 2021, filed a lawsuit against the tours in March, citing “anti-competitive practices” and a “blatant disregard for player welfare”. Djokovic, though, was not listed as one of the current players in the lawsuit, and the 24-time grand slam champion was also missing from the co-signatures of the letter sent to the grand slams in August.
