By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, Could 22, 2026
Picture credit score: Robert Prange/Getty
Stars had been shining—and talking—at Roland Garros media day at this time.
The clock was ticking, too.
Not the on-court shot clock, however a self-imposed modified media day boycott a number of gamers joined to protest what they are saying is inadequate income sharing from the 4 Grand Slams.
Tennis Now lead author Chris Oddo is in Paris submitting day by day experiences for each Tennis Now and the official Roland Garros web site. Learn Chris Oddo’s report on the modified media day boycott here.
Phrases turn out to be much more valuable when some stars restricted media obligations to fifteen minutes at this time as a part of the modified boycott, whereas others (See beneath) stated “all of us have our personal pursuits.”
Listed below are among the intriguing participant feedback that caught our ears from at this time’s Roland Garros media day.
“I feel all of us are right here only for one motive, you understand. Doesn’t matter if I didn’t play quite a lot of matches on the clay court docket. I do know that, I understand how to play on clay, and it’s all about being bodily and mentally wholesome, to go for it, and to be able to battle. All I can say that I’m able to battle, and naturally I hope to do some bit higher than I did final 12 months,” World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who misplaced to Coco Gauff within the 2025 closing.
“I hear speaking solely about prize cash, however we speak additionally concerning the pension, which is a vital subject, as a result of after tennis participant additionally hopefully we get some pension cash, and in addition the decision-making. As a result of who decides if they begin now three Grand Slam out of 4, we begin Sunday, however we don’t know in the event that they wish to begin Saturday or Friday. So we wish to have additionally a small dialog into that. So let’s see the place we go. Let’s see additionally how different Grand Slams are going to react after right here, after which we’re gonna resolve,” world No. 1 Jannik Sinner on the gamers main points with the 4 Grand Slam tournaments.
“[Sinner is] possibly within the type of his life, and with out Carlos being right here additionally will increase his possibilities much more of claiming extra Grand Slam titles. So we’re all right here to attempt to, you understand, attempt to win towards him and forestall him from taking extra titles. We now have witnessed yesterday night time on the court docket that he has misplaced just for the third time this 12 months towards, you understand, Monfils and Svitolina in exhibition (laughter). I advised him that on the court docket that if he doesn’t step up, that he’s going to lose towards Gael,” Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic on derailing world No. 1 Jannik Sinner’s quest to win Roland Garros and full the profession Grand Slam at age 24.
“Now with Carlos not enjoying, you’re type of wanting just like the inevitable goes to occur. Clearly the factor about this sport is something can occur, something is feasible. You by no means know what’s going to occur in a match or what’s going to unfold and if he’s going to remain wholesome the whole event now going to a few out of 5. There may be quite a lot of different elements,” Jessica Pegula on inevitability of Sinner successful Roland Garros.
“I feel that the largest piece from me is what my id is on the clay, how I wish to play, and from floor to floor that may fluctuate rather a lot, which makes it tough, as a result of one thing that works in Munich might not work in Rome, or one thing that works very well at Roland Garros might not work in Hamburg. I feel that that’s the fantastic thing about clay and in addition the issue. Every week you’ve to have the ability to adapt and generally play a totally completely different recreation type based mostly on the circumstances. I feel that’s possibly not a technical piece, nevertheless it’s one of the crucial vital items,” Ben Shelton on adapting his attacking recreation to Roland Garros’ pink clay.
“The whole lot is feasible. I can win [the title]. I might be defeated in the course of the first match. I don’t know. We’ll see what’s going to occur. We’ll see,” Frenchwoman Lois Boisson a 12 months after her Cinderella wild card run to the Roland Garros semifinals.
“Properly, we now have a proper to withdraw any time we wish, so I don’t see the issue, truthfully. If we’re not match or we don’t really feel like that is the fitting time for us to play a event, like, are we slaves? Like, we’re allowed to resolve. I don’t see the issue. We get zero within the rating. That’s a punishment,” Iga Swiatek responding to Dubai Event Director recommending harsher penalties for Aryna Sabalenka and Swiatek for Dubai withdrawals.
“They [Grand Slams] don’t hear you. They don’t reply. Principally, I don’t know, simply provide you with instance. Once you ship the mail in, nobody responds to official mail for months… and we’re doing the identical factor. Come on, guys. We’re collectively, otherwise you fully don’t care that a lot that you simply can not even talk,” Andrey Rublev on Grand Slam ignoring gamers’ request for a larger share of main income.
“I’m not a part of any motion. It’s a person sport. If there was truly a motion, we’d have recognized of it earlier. All of us have our personal pursuits, and my curiosity in the mean time is to play higher than I’m doing in the mean time. Sports activities has to been put in the beginning else,” Frenchman Corentin Moutet on whether or not he was taking part in a deliberate participant modified media boycott.
“I used to be ending the faculty season with UVA, and I feel I used to be enjoying possibly some challengers within the U.S. earlier than coming again to Europe to play the challengers in summer season right here. I feel that was the state of affairs,” Spanish breakout star Rafael Jodar on what he was doing in the course of the 2025 Roland Garros.
“I feel that it’s simply because I like to play, and after I play doubles, I’m not as harassed and never as nervous, and I actually deal with tips on how to have enjoyable. Once I play doubles, it jogs my memory of when me and my sister, we performed Ping-Pong, and it’s simply all about laughs and all about having enjoyable, and we’re tremendous aggressive, as effectively,” Mirra Andreeva on why she’s entered each singles and doubles attracts at Roland Garros.
