French Open organizers opened negotiations with players after a media protest at Roland Garros
French Open organizers held a meeting with representatives of male and female tennis players after a coordinated media protest in which leading players at Roland Garros drew attention to a dispute over revenue distribution, prize money and their influence in decision-making. According to an announcement by the French Tennis Federation, the talks were held in Paris ahead of the start of the main tournament, after numerous players limited their obligations toward journalists during the traditional media day. The protest was not directed against the media representatives themselves, but served as pressure on Grand Slam tournament organizers to open a discussion about the percentage of revenue returned to players. According to reports by agencies and relevant sports media, players are seeking a larger share of Grand Slam tournament revenue, better representation in decision-making processes and discussion of longer-term forms of social protection, including health programs and pension models. The dispute gained visibility immediately before Roland Garros 2026, the second Grand Slam tournament of the season, which is played in Paris from May 24 until the final stages in early June. In its tournament preview, the WTA stated that singles matches begin on May 24, that the singles final is scheduled for June 6, and the doubles final for June 7. The meeting was organized after the French Tennis Federation had previously expressed regret over the players' initiative, telling the Associated Press that such a move affects the media, television rights holders, federation employees and the broader tennis community. At the same time, the federation said it was ready for direct and constructive talks on issues of governance, players' social protection and the distribution of the value created by the tournament. According to The Guardian's report from Paris, the FFT promised after the talks to present more concrete proposals in the period after the end of Roland Garros.
What the players did during media day
The protest was shaped as a limitation of media obligations, not as a complete boycott of the tournament. According to the Associated Press and The Guardian, some leading players decided during the pre-tournament media day to speak only in mandatory formats, primarily at press conferences and in conversations with the main television rights holder. Instead of the usual longer slots that can include a larger number of individual interviews, recordings and promotional obligations, the players shortened their media appearances to around 15 minutes. That figure also carried a symbolic message because at the center of the dispute is the players' claim that Grand Slam tournaments return approximately 15 percent of revenue to prize money. Among the players linked to the pressure on organizers were Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, the world number ones in the men's and women's competitions, as well as Coco Gauff, one of the tournament's most prominent players. The Associated Press reported that Sabalenka and Gauff had previously been among the players who mentioned the possibility of boycotting Grand Slam tournaments if there was no progress in talks about compensation. Instead of that extreme step, a milder and more precisely targeted action was chosen, with the aim of maintaining the tournament's competitive integrity, but also of forcing organizers into a more public dialogue. According to The Guardian, the players in Paris were encouraged by the fact that, after just one day of media pressure, a meeting with FFT representatives had already been arranged. According to the same source, representatives of the French Tennis Federation, player representative Larry Scott and a group of agents representing some of the leading male and female tennis players took part in the talks. One participant in the talks described the meeting as positive, and the message after the meeting was that the discussion was not only about the amount of prize money, but also about the broader governance model of Grand Slam tournaments.
The dispute over the percentage of revenue
The central issue of the conflict is what share of revenue Grand Slam tournaments should pay out through prize money. According to the players' statements reported by the Associated Press, their share of Roland Garros revenue fell from 15.5 percent in 2024 to a projection of 14.9 percent in 2026, while for 2025 it was stated that the tournament generated 395 million euros in revenue. The players claim that this revenue was 14 percent higher than the year before, while prize money increased by 5.4 percent, which, according to their calculation, would mean that their share fell to 14.3 percent. Their demand is to move closer to a 22 percent share, which they say corresponds to the level of distribution at ATP and WTA tournaments outside the Grand Slam system. Roland Garros organizers emphasize a different view of the same issue. According to a statement the FFT gave to the Associated Press, a Grand Slam tournament brings players not only direct prize money, but also great visibility that can create additional income through sponsorships, partnerships, exhibition appearances and appearance fees. The French federation also stresses that the increases for 2026 are specifically directed toward players in the early rounds of the main draw and in qualifying, that is, toward those for whom tournament earnings matter most for financing the season. This argumentation shows that the two sides are not disputing only the amount, but also how to measure the value the tournament creates for players. According to ATP data, the total Roland Garros 2026 prize fund amounts to 61.723 million euros, and the winners of the men's and women's singles tournaments will each receive 2.8 million euros. Singles finalists will each receive 1.4 million euros, semifinalists 750,000 euros, quarterfinalists 470,000 euros, and players who lose in the first round of the main draw 87,000 euros. In qualifying, the amounts are lower, but they are also clearly defined: according to the ATP overview, an appearance in the first qualifying round is worth 24,000 euros, the second round 33,000 euros, and the third 48,000 euros. In its tournament preview, the WTA confirmed that prize money in the men's and women's competitions is equal by round.
Mauresmo defends the existing model, but does not close the door to dialogue
Tournament director Amélie Mauresmo, the former world number one and two-time Grand Slam champion, made it clear before the start of the tournament that the prize fund for this year's edition would not change. According to reports by the Associated Press and other media, Mauresmo said that organizers would not intervene in the already announced prize structure for 2026. This closed the short-term possibility that the protest could lead to a change in this year's amounts, but it did not close the space for negotiations on future editions of the tournament and the broader relationship of Grand Slam organizers toward players. According to The Guardian, Mauresmo defended the French model by arguing that Roland Garros cannot be directly compared with regular ATP and WTA tournaments because it has a different structure of costs, investments and obligations. She pointed out that the prize fund has grown significantly over the past decade and that investments have also gone into infrastructure, qualifying and players in the early stages of competition. That message is important because Grand Slam tournaments, in addition to the sporting part, also finance large stadium complexes, broadcast production, security, logistics, development programs and national tennis structures. Still, players respond that the growth of total revenue must be more visible in the share that is directly returned to competitors. According to Al Jazeera, which cited AFP, the French Tennis Federation described the meeting with player representatives as constructive. What matters in that description is the change in tone: after initial regret over the protest, organizers publicly emphasized their readiness to continue talks. For players, this is so far the most important immediate result of the action, because the issue has moved from the level of dissatisfaction and informal talks into a more formal framework. It has not, however, been officially confirmed what concrete proposals the FFT will present or whether they will include an increase in the revenue percentage, new forms of representative body or special programs of health and pension support.
Why the issue is not only about the highest-paid players
Although the biggest stars are most often mentioned in public, the demands also concern the position of players outside the very top. The costs of professional tennis are extremely high: during the season, players pay for coaches, physiotherapists, travel, accommodation, equipment, preparations and medical care, while only a smaller number of male and female tennis players continuously earn large sponsorship income. That is why increasing prize money in qualifying and the first rounds has special significance for those who do not regularly reach the final stages of the biggest tournaments. The FFT uses precisely that argument to explain why part of the increase for 2026 is directed toward the earlier rounds. On the other hand, players argue that the issue cannot be reduced only to a nominal increase in the prize fund. According to their logic, the key is to track the relationship between the tournament's total revenue and the money paid to competitors. If income from tickets, television rights, sponsorships and commercial partnerships grows faster than prize money, then, players argue, their share of the value they themselves help create decreases. That is why, alongside the amount of prize money, their demands also include the concepts of governance, transparency and representation, making the dispute institutional and not only financial. According to The Guardian, players are not seeking only larger prizes, but also talks about welfare and representation. This includes the possibility of a stronger voice in decisions concerning schedules, media obligations, commercial activities and long-term social programs. In tennis, unlike in some league sports, there is no single employer or collective agreement that would regulate the relationship between tournaments and players in a unified way. Precisely for that reason, every discussion about the distribution of Grand Slam tournament revenue has broader significance for professional tennis.
Grand Slam tournaments under increasing pressure
Roland Garros is not the only Grand Slam to come under player pressure. According to The Guardian, talks are also planned with representatives of the All England Club, the organizer of Wimbledon, and the United States Tennis Association, the organizer of the US Open. Wimbledon begins on June 29, 2026, so the way the discussion develops in Paris is likely to influence the tone ahead of the London tournament as well. The Guardian reported that the All England Club offered to establish a player council for Wimbledon, but that some players believe such a model is not sufficient in itself. The Australian Open has a separate position in this discussion because Tennis Australia, according to The Guardian, has a different relationship with the player organization Professional Tennis Players Association compared with the other Grand Slam tournaments. This further shows that there is no unified answer from all the biggest tournaments. Each Grand Slam has its own governance structure, commercial model, national federation or organizing body and long-term investment priorities. Still, players are trying to open the discussion at a common level because they believe all four biggest tournaments are profitable enough to be able to distribute part of their revenue differently. In that context, the media protest at Roland Garros can be seen as a test of the players' strength and organization. Unlike the threat of a full boycott, limiting media obligations was less risky for the competition, but visible enough to push the issue into the foreground. Since players from the top of men's and women's tennis took part in or supported the action, the pressure gained weight that individual statements can hardly have. Organizers now have to find a way to maintain the stability of the tournament, protect commercial obligations and at the same time show that the talks are not just a formality.
The tournament continues while negotiations remain open
On the sporting side, Roland Garros 2026 continues according to schedule, and the first rounds of the singles tournament are played from May 24 to 26. The WTA states that the second round follows on May 27 and 28, the third on May 29 and 30, the round of 16 on May 31 and June 1, the quarterfinals on June 2 and 3, the semifinals on June 4 and the singles final on June 6. The doubles tournament ends the following day, June 7. This means that negotiations on the future of the financial model are taking place in parallel with one of the most important sporting events of the season. According to the available information as of May 26, 2026, it has not been officially confirmed that this year's prize fund will be changed. On the contrary, the tournament director's messages indicate that the announced structure for 2026 will remain in place. What remains open, however, is what the FFT will offer after the tournament and whether the proposals will satisfy players who are seeking to move closer to a 22 percent revenue share. If there is no agreement, the possibility of new forms of pressure before Wimbledon or the US Open will remain part of the broader discussion about the future organization of professional tennis. For Roland Garros, the short-term challenge is to keep the focus on the competition, while the long-term answer is being sought in the relationship between athletes, organizers and commercial partners. The meeting after the media protest did not resolve the dispute, but it marked the beginning of more open negotiations. For players, it is proof that coordinated action can change the dynamics of talks, while for organizers it is a warning that revenue growth and prize money growth will no longer be sufficient explanation if it is not clarified how the total value of Grand Slam tournaments is shared among those who create it. Sources: - Associated Press – report on the planned media protest by players at the French Open, the FFT's position and data on the dispute over the revenue share (link) - The Guardian – report from Paris on the FFT's meeting with player representatives and announced proposals after Roland Garros (link) - ATP Tour – official overview of the Roland Garros 2026 prize fund by rounds and competitions (link) - WTA – Roland Garros 2026 preview with tournament dates, draw and prize money data (link) - Al Jazeera / AFP – report on the constructive meeting between the French Tennis Federation and player representatives (link)