Aryna Sabalenka Threatens Grand Slam Boycott in Prize Money Row

Sabalenka ready to boycott grand slams in prize money dispute

Last year, top players demanded a 22% share of Grand Slam revenue and better welfare benefits. With Roland Garros revenue hitting €395m in 2024 but players receiving just 14.3%, frustration is mounting ahead of this year’s event.  

While Sabalenka is open to a boycott, four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek called the idea “a bit extreme,” highlighting divisions among players over how to push for change...

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka said on Tuesday she is willing to boycott Grand Slam tournaments unless players receive a larger share of the prize money.

Speaking at a press conference during the Italian Open, the four-time Grand Slam champion argued that players are the main draw. “Without us there wouldn’t be a tournament and there wouldn’t be that entertainment,” she said.

Players Push for Higher Revenue Share and Welfare Support

In 2025, nearly all top players backed two joint letters sent to the heads of the four Grand Slams, calling for a bigger portion of prize money, contributions to a player welfare fund covering retirement and maternity benefits, and a say in key decisions affecting them.

The letters proposed that the Grand Slams allocate 22% of their revenue to players, a figure that would align them with the nine combined ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 events already operating at that level.

“I feel like we definitely deserve to be paid (a higher) percentage.

“I think at some point we will boycott. I feel like that's going to be the only way to fight for our rights.

“We girls can easily get together and go for this because some of the things I feel like it's really unfair to the players. I think at some point it's going to get to this.”

Iga Swiatek of Poland, a four-time French Open singles champion, thinks the idea of a boycott goes too far, calling it “a bit extreme.”

“I think the most important thing, honestly, is to have proper communication and discussions with the governing bodies so we have some space to talk and maybe negotiate,” said Swiatek, who has also won Wimbledon and the US Open.

“Hopefully before Roland Garros there's going to be an opportunity to have these type of meetings and we'll see how they go.”

Celebrating our Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year, Aryna Sabalenka on her birthday 🥳#Laureus26 pic.twitter.com/rfWe5A9dE1

— Laureus (@LaureusSport) May 5, 2026

On Monday, players issued a statement saying the 9.5% prize money hike announced by the French Open last month falls short of what’s needed.

Roland Garros generated €395 million (£341m) last year, a 14% rise year-on-year. Yet the overall prize fund increased by only 5.4%, cutting the players’ share of revenue to 14.3%. With this year’s revenue projected to exceed €400 million (£345.5m), the players’ cut is still expected to remain under 15%.