“Tennis is broken. Behind the glamorous veneer that the defendants promote, players are trapped in an unfair system that exploits their talent,” Ahmad Nassar, PTPA’s director claimed two months ago, after the Professional Tennis Players Association (led by 24-time slam king Novak Djokovic) launched a lawsuit against the ATP, WTA, ITIA, and ITF. But why? Well, the legal document alleged anti-competitive practices and pay inequality. If this setback wasn’t enough for the governing bodies, prominent ATP and WTA players came together last month to sign a joint letter. They sent it to the Grand Slams, as reported by French publication L’ÉQUIPE. The goal is simple: increase in the prize money across the four majors (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open). And now, American pro Taylor Fritz has come forward to add weight to the cause behind the campaign.

“There are not enough players who can live out of tennis. That’s the first thing. And it’s something that I’ve said many times in the past,” Patrick Mouratoglou (Serena Williams’ ex-coach) said last month. In a clip on his IG account, he emphasized on the dire situation of players. Especially those who are low-ranked and hardly earn a substantial amount of money from tennis events. Of course, his reaction came after the 163-page lawsuit from the PTPA.

As the second slam of the year, French Open, has kicked off in Paris, the topic has been reignited. Especially during the media interactions. Recently, Taylor Fritz was asked to comment on top players’ plea for a boost in prize money. Amid those who have signed the letter are also Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner, and Carlos Alcaraz. Speaking at a pre-event press conference, dated May 24, Fritz said, “I think pretty much all the top 10 players on the men’s and women’s side are together on this. That we want to, you know, just push for a better share of the revenue.”

He explained his point, saying, “I think revenue percentages is off. Obviously, it’s not about the outright number that we are getting paid because of slams. It’s obviously our biggest payday. It’s obviously the most that we’re getting paid, but you know in terms of the players making the tournament happen and the percentage of revenue coming back to players is very low for tennis and extremely low compared to other sports.”

Fritz concluded, “So I think I wouldn’t say I’m leading the charge or anything but I’ve been involved like everyone else has been.” His take on slam prize money is valid in general. It also becomes evident from a former WTA pro’s honest reaction to the four majors. Especially regarding their tendency to pay less to the players. Really? Well, that’s what Rennae Stubbs thinks.

Like Taylor Fritz, Rennae Stubbs highlights the inevitable ‘Grand Slam’ problem

Per Rennae Stubbs, the key issue is related to an underwhelming amount of prize money in Grand Slams. How come? In an episode of her podcast, dated March 25, she revealed, “If you think about it, I’m going to talk about it in layman’s terms here. Basically, the winner of a Grand Slam is getting somewhere between $3 million and $4 million.” Stubbs mentioned that this amount may look attractive initially “until you learn what the tournament is earning.”

She noted that a figure of $4 million might sound great “but when you’re talking about the best players in the world playing seven matches, seven matches over more than two weeks now, every Grand Slam is going to 15 days. It’s like, if you think about a Novak Djokovic, let’s say back in the day, Roger Federer, Serena, the all-time greats. If they played seven nights of exhibitions, they would be making at least $7 million.” To add weight to her perspective, there are crucial numbers available as well.

Try to understand it this way. Last year’s US Open edition generated more than $500 million in total revenue. It included ticket sales, sponsorships, and broadcasting. These details were shared by Tennis Insider Club in September 2024. The event’s prize pool for the players saw a huge jump. It was escalated to $75 million, with men’s and women’s singles champions taking $3.6 million each. While you may think it’s a massive boost, it wasn’t. Simply because, the increased amount was just 15 percent of the overall revenue.

Stubbs concluded, “So my whole thing is, when you think about that for a two-week event, the time that they’re giving out, the money that those Grand Slams are making, that is not enough money for them.” What are your thoughts on the pay disparity in Grand Slams? Do you think the organizers will eventually accept players’ request? Let us know in the comments below.