Tennis players to shift Grand Slam reform campaign to negotiations
A group of leading tennis players plans to end its public campaign for greater influence over decision-making and financial benefits at the four Grand Slam tournaments. The athletes will now pursue their goals through a new Player Advisory Council, Asharq Al-Awsat reports.
A permanent format for negotiations
According to a statement by the players, they will work directly with the Grand Slam tournaments to establish the council. Through this body, tennis players will be consulted directly and will also be able to negotiate on a permanent basis.
The campaign was launched in March 2025. Its participants demanded a greater role in decision-making at Grand Slam tournaments, increased funding for player welfare, and a larger share of competition revenues. In particular, they proposed allocating 22% of tournament revenues to prize money.
The campaign intensified this year, with players reducing their pre-tournament media commitments at the French Open and Wimbledon. Amid pressure from the group, all four Grand Slam tournaments increased their prize funds.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Prize money and player welfare
The athletes noted that their goal of receiving 22% of tournament revenues as prize money by 2030 has not yet been achieved. At the same time, they pointed to a substantial increase in prize money since the campaign began.
This year, prize funds reached $79.92 million at the Australian Open, $71.56 million at the French Open, $86.79 million at Wimbledon, and a record $108 million at the US Open. The group estimated that more than $30 million in recent prize-money increases at the majors exceeded historical growth rates. The players also welcomed the French Open's proposal to link payments to tournament profits.
The US Open became the first Grand Slam tournament to commit $2 million to player welfare. The athletes expressed hope that this amount would grow and that the other three majors would adopt similar decisions. They stated that they may resume the campaign if the council does not ensure that the stated goals are achieved.
