Top tennis players including Sinner, Alcaraz, Sabalenka left frustrated at French Open prize money and lack of progress on key issues

Tuesday, 05 May 2026 at 09:00

A group of current and former top 10 ATP and WTA tennis players including Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek have circulated a further letter sharing their 'deep disappointment' at the French Open's recent prize money announcement.

The second Grand Slam tournament of the season gets underway this month in Paris and organisers have confirmed an increase of 9.53% in this year's prize pot.

The singles champions will receive £2.4million up from the £2.2m that Alcaraz and Coco Gauff received in 2025. But leading players have set out another of points as to why the increase isn't actually a good thing ahead of Rome this week.

In March 2025, top players co-signed a letter to the leaders of the four Grand Slam tournaments asking for a greater share of tournament revenue as well as prize money, financial contributions to player welfare schemes, and greater say in decisions. Sinner, Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alex de Minaur signed this letter last year.

Letter penned by top stars

While on the women's side, it was Sabalenka, Gauff, Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Jasmine Paolini, Emma Navarro, Zheng Qinwen, Paula Badosa and Mirra Andreeva. Elena Rybakina was markably absent from this.

There has also been no response to proposals on welfare which includes pension and long-term health schemes and nothing on fair and transparent player reputation within decision making when it comes to Grand Slams.

Gauff on her knees after the match point in the Roland Garros final

Coco Gauff seconds after winning the 2025 French Open title

A statement made by Sinner, Sabalenka and co read: "As Roland Garros looks to post record revenues, players are therefore receiving a declining share of the value they help create.

More critically, the announcement does nothing to address the structural issues that players have consistently and reasonably raised over the past year. There has been no engagement on player welfare and no progress towards establishing a formal mechanism for player consultation within Grand Slam decision making.

While other major international sports are modernising governance, aligning stakeholders, and building long-term value, the Grand Slams remain resistant to change. The absence of player consultation and the continued lack of investment in player welfare reflect a system that does not adequately represent the interests of those who are central to the sport’s success.

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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