By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, Might 4, 2026
Picture credit score: Tim Clayton/Corbis/Getty
Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff squared off within the 2025 Roland Garros ultimate.
Right this moment, Gauff stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Sabalenka stating a participant boycott of Grand Slams is feasible if the majors don’t decide to higher income sharing with gamers.
“Yeah, if everybody had been to maneuver as one and collaborate, yeah, I can 100% see that,” Gauff stated of Sabalenka’s prediction of a participant boycott of Slams. “It’s not about me. It’s about the way forward for our sport and in addition, like, the present gamers who aren’t getting I assume as a lot advantages perhaps as even among the high gamers are getting in terms of like sponsorship and issues like that.
“We’re being profitable off court docket. If you have a look at the [Top] 50 to 100, 50 to 200, how a lot cash every slam makes, it’s form of unlucky the place the 200 greatest tennis gamers reside paycheck to paycheck,
whereas different sports activities it’s not even a dialogue.”
Jannik Sinner, Sabalenka, Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev are amongst a bunch of about 20 stars who’ve signed a letter slamming Roland Garros’ 2026 prize cash.
Final month, the event introduced the entire prize cash for the 2026 Roland Garros is €61.723 Million, up 9.53% in contrast with final yr.
Whereas the event touts the prize cash enhance, gamers say scratch beneath the floor and that quantity truly represents a lower in participant proportion of income.
Right this moment, Sabalenka stated if negotiations are unsuccessful, gamers are ready to boycott Slams as “the one option to struggle for our rights.”
“I feel sooner or later we are going to boycott it, yeah,” Sabalenka stated. “I really feel like that’s going to be the one option to form of, like, struggle for our rights.”
Two-time Grand Slam champion Gauff says the one path for gamers to make significant change is to unionize and collectively demand it.
“Truthfully I form of agree with [Sabalenka], simply taking what the WNBA form of achieved. Additionally they have a union, so I feel that helps,” Gauff stated. “I undoubtedly assume, from my not expertise, as a result of I don’t
have numerous life experiences, however from the issues I’ve seen with different sports activities, normally to make huge progress and issues like this, it takes a union. Yeah, now we have to turn into unionized in a roundabout way.”
he Grand Slams counter they take all monetary danger by constructing infrastructure and really working the occasions—and say they’re elevating prize cash totals, generally to report ranges, yearly.
In an announcement, Roland Garros stated it’s prize cash will increase are best within the qualifying rounds and first three rounds of the event. That’s designed to financially support the lower-ranked gamers who want the cash most to proceed competing on the worldwide tour.
“The full prize cash for the qualifying occasion has been elevated by 12.9%. The prize cash for the primary draw is up 10.1% in contrast with 2025,” Roland Garros stated. “A selected effort has been made for the primary three rounds of the singles draw, with a rise of between 11.11 and 11.54%.”
Gauff stated some body the controversy as high gamers simply wanting more cash, however she insists it’s about equitable pay for all at Grand Slams.
“I feel this dialog can generally get twisted as wanting increasingly more and extra. Us as high gamers perceive that perhaps our voices are amplified somewhat bit extra due to the attain that now we have,” Gauff stated. “That doesn’t imply we’re solely doing this for us.
“I undoubtedly assume there’s a consensus round that this must be addressed for all gamers of all ranges, particularly the lower-ranked gamers, too. I undoubtedly assume that’s one thing that I care about. I need to go away the game higher than I discovered it. If I can say I performed my half once I retire, that’s one thing I might be
pleased with.”
Former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek stated she believes participant are extra unified on essential points, however doesn’t envision a Grand Slam boycott, which she known as “a bit excessive.”
“The identical factor occurred with scheduling when the modifications have been made about obligatory tournaments,” Swiatek stated. “Sadly, we had been a bit late when it comes to the response. I feel now we have, like, fairly clear and related imaginative and prescient.
“However boycotting the event, it’s a bit excessive form of state of affairs. I don’t know. I assume we as gamers are right here to play as people, and we’re competing in opposition to one another.
“There have been, like, conditions like that, so it’s actually exhausting for me to say how it will work, if it’s even there on the image. For now, I haven’t heard something.”
