At the Italian Open, players like Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner sparked controversy by hinting at a boycott of one of tennis’ four majors. Their demand was clear: prize money for the Grand Slams should rise by 22%, even though the 2026 French Open offers a 9.5% increase from last year. With no resolution in sight, players are now signaling that the Parisian Slam could witness the first major strike.

At the French Open, which is set to begin on Sunday, May 24, players are planning a coordinated action during pre-tournament press conferences. According to a source, players will leave news conferences after just 15 minutes. The boycott extends to refusing interviews with Roland Garros media and the tournament’s main rights holders, TNT Sports and Eurosport.

Players have reviewed the tournament rulebook and determined that they will not face fines as long as they fulfill contractual obligations to conduct brief post-match flash interviews with rights holders. They intend to only perform these mandatory flash interviews after matches, avoiding extended media obligations, as reported by The Guardian.

The ’15-minute’ limit is symbolic, reflecting the fact that Grand Slams typically allocate only about 15% of revenues to prize money, according to the same source. This year’s Roland Garros prize pool has already been raised to $72.3 million, which aligns with roughly 15% of its projected revenue.

By contrast, the other 3 majors have increased their prize money in recent editions. The recently concluded AO raised its pool by 16% to $75 million. The US Open’s prize money surged by 21%, reaching a record $85 million last year. Wimbledon also increased its pool to $72.6 million in 2025, a 7% rise from 2024.

However, none of these increases reach the 22% revenue share that the players are advocating for.

The media protest marks the latest move by the group to pressure the 4 Grand Slams, following two letters sent to the majors last year. These letters were signed by some of the biggest names on the WTA and ATP Tours combined, including Iga Świątek, Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Jannik Sinner.

Beyond prize money increases, the group is also advocating for enhanced player welfare and greater consultation and representation in Grand Slam decision-making.

At the center of the dispute is the players’ belief that they are not receiving a fair enough share of the tournaments’ rapidly growing revenues. Alongside financial concerns, they have also pushed for better pension provisions. Part of their push includes the formation of a Grand Slam Player Council to ensure players have a stronger voice.

With boycott fears intensifying before the Slam, tensions are rapidly building ahead of the tournament, as players continue demanding fairer revenue distribution across tennis.

French Tennis Federation (FFT) expresses concern over rumored media protest plans

Regarding the media protest, a FFT spokesperson commented via text message, stating:

“We regret the players’ decision, which impacts all the tournament’s stakeholders: the media, broadcasters, the FFT, and the entire tennis community, all of whom follow each edition of Roland-Garros with great enthusiasm.”

The spokesperson also emphasized the FFT’s willingness to maintain close ties with the players, noting, “The FFT recognises the importance of the players’ contribution to the tournament’s success, and wishes to maintain close ties with them. In early May, it proposed a meeting that will take place on Friday, 22 May, with some of their representatives.”

Further, the French Tennis Federation has made it clear that it is prepared to engage in constructive dialogue on governance, focusing on giving players a greater role in decision-making, improving player welfare, and evolving the value-sharing model in the future.

Additional meetings with representatives from Wimbledon Championships and the US Open are expected later during the tournament, as spokespersons for both events have yet to respond to requests for comment.

As the debate over prize money and governance intensifies, the tennis world will be watching closely in the coming days to see what steps the players and the FFT will take.