“We are all going in the same direction”: Jasmine Paolini confirms alignment with Sabalenka-led push for Grand Slam change

The defending champion of the Rome Open, Jasmine Paolini, joined the comments of Aryna Sabalenka regarding a potential boycott of Grand Slam tournaments. As Roland Garros approaches, one of the hottest topics on the tour is the distribution of prize money in the majors – and a potential player boycott.

And it is that the announcement of a nearly 9% increase in Roland Garros prize money did not satisfy the biggest stars. Compared to other high-income, elite-level sports, tennis players receive only around 15% of tournament revenues – far from other associations that distribute up to nearly 50% among players alone.

For this reason, several players have already spoken out – including Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner, Coco Gauff, Alexander Zverev, and Iga Swiatek, who signed a letter back in March requesting the opening of dialogue spaces to achieve a fairer distribution of prize money.

One of the voices was precisely Paolini, who shares the discomfort of her colleagues regarding Grand Slam prize money. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka arrived at the Rome Open speaking openly about a potential boycott, something several players have already referred to, and which local star Paolini hinted could lead players to unite in order to apply greater pressure on the Slams.

The first to address the statement was Sabalenka, who hopes her concerns will be heard by the governing bodies – not only at the French Open, but also at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.

“Let’s see how far we can get,” said the world No. 1 during her press conference. “If it’s going to take players for boycott, I feel like nowadays we girls can easily get together and go for this because some of the things I feel like are really unfair to the players. I think at some point it’s going to get to this.”

This time it was Paolini who, in a press conference, gave her opinion on the prize money distribution. However, the Italian added a nuance, stating that they hope to reach an agreement that not only involves higher prize money, but also financial support for programs such as pensions for players and maternity support.

“It is definitely a hot topic. We are doing this to achieve a more fair arrangement for players, including issues like pensions, maternity, and many other aspects,” the two-time Grand Slam finalist said. “At the moment, the Slams are not part of this in the same way. The WTA is involved, the ATP is involved, so there is a difference there. We are fighting for that.”

“The positive thing is that we are all united and going in the same direction. The Slams are increasing prize money slightly, but not in proportion to their revenue. More importantly, they are not contributing to pensions or maternity support, which I think is important.”

Regarding a potential boycott – like the one mentioned by Sabalenka days earlier – Paolini assured that it is something entirely plausible for players to refuse to play in order to reach an agreement that benefits everyone.

“If we are all in agreement—and we are—and we remain united, both men and women, this could be something achievable.”

For now, Paolini’s attention is focused on her Rome Open campaign, where she is the defending champion after defeating Coco Gauff in the 2025 final, becoming the first Italian woman to win the title in 40 years – since Raffaella Reggi in 1985.

“At the moment I’m not even thinking about it too much,” said the 30-year-old about defending her title. “Coming back here is a great feeling. I have a lot of memories from last year, from the first day I played for the club. A lot of emotions, a lot of good memories. I hope to bring a lot of positive energy.”

This time she arrives with a slightly more uncertain season, with just one win and two defeats on clay so far this year. In Rome, she is set to make her debut on Thursday against France’s Leolia Jeanjean, who comes in strong form with three consecutive wins in Rome – coming through qualifying and pulling off a surprise against Beatriz Haddad Maia in the first round.

“What I did last year, I did last year. This is a new edition of the tournament,” she stated. “I’m focusing on the first match. As I always say, the first match is the most important. That’s what matters at that moment. I hope to play good tennis and have a good attitude in the first match.”