Roland Garros chief will not alter cash prizes

French Open Director Amélie Mauresmo categorically confirmed on Thursday that the reward standards will remain unchanged for this year's edition of the marquee tennis tournament, dismissing rising protests from top tour stars.

The buzz started at the beginning of the month but the complaint has been brewing for some time now and grown louder as the Paris event neared. However, rumors were put to rest this week when, during the draw for Roland Garrros, which is already in its qualifying phase, Mauresmo stated firmly, "No, we're not going to change anything"; though she added that officials are open to future discussions with the players' union, the Professional Tennis Players Association, a body founded in 2020 by current World-ranked number four player Novak Djokovic -who left earlier this year-, and former pro Vasek Pospisil.

In fact, it was confirmed that the all-time great Djokovic decided to stay on the sidelines and did not sign the latest joint statement issued by the group of athletes.

To express their dissatisfaction, leading male and female players have organised a sit-in protest in front of the media, one of the main sources of coverage and showcases for the Grand Slam. They will drastically limit their appearances at pre-tournament press conferences to a maximum of 15 minutes. The core of the complaint is not that the prize money is low in absolute terms, yet that the portion of competition revenue allocated to the players has decreased.

Players claim that they currently receive only 14.3% of the total revenue generated by Roland Garros. They are demanding an increase to 22%, the standard percentage applied at combined ATP and WTA Masters 1000 tournaments. Current prominent figures such as Jannik Sinner, who openly demanded 'respect' for the tour, Aryna Sabalenka, and Coco Gauff are leading the backlash.

On May 16, the French Open confirmed a 9.5% increase in total prize money, bringing the total purse to €61.7 million. The singles champions will each receive 2.8 million euros, an increase of 300,000 euros from last year’s tournament. The stars argue that the tournament generated €395m in 2025 (a 14% increase from the previous year). Nevertheless, prize money rose by only 5.4% during that period, reducing the percentage they rightfully deserve for their performance.

Where does the rest go? The surplus funds are used to finance grassroots tennis in France and to cover the venue's operating costs, as the contest is owned by a nonprofit institution. Unlike American team sports, where the leagues are privately owned franchises, Roland Garros is owned by the French Tennis Federation, which essentially had to bail itself out.

The French Tennis Federation was quick to defend itself against such a barrage of threats and criticism. It based its argument on two main points: First, investment in grassroots tennis, as officials argue that this year’s increase was strategically directed toward the qualifying rounds and early stages (an 11% increase) to financially support lower-ranked players who rely on prize money to fund their seasons; second, the indirect benefits, as they assert that Roland Garros provides a massive stage that generates millions in indirect revenue for players through advertising sponsorships and exhibition matches.

For now, it looks like Roland Garros will go ahead as usual this year untill 7 June with expecation focused on whether the boycott will eventually lose steam and an agreement will be reached, or a consensus will actually happen come 2027.

Cash prizes have long-been the subject of heated debate among sports organisations: While the International Olympic Committee still advocates for the amateur spirit to represent its Movement fully, global federations like World Athletics or the International Boxing Association have often clashed with Lausanne-based officials by awarding money directly to athletes who reach the podium.

Wimbledon, the next Major on the tennis calendar in the middle of summer, has, for the time being, gone on high alert and urgently dispatched its national legend, Tim Henman, to quell the players’ rebellion, as was recently reported by The Guardian.