There won’t be a change in prize money for this year’s French Open, tournament director Amélie Mauresmo said on Thursday, according to The Associated Press, one day before some of tennis’ biggest stars plan to stage a media protest to express their frustration about the cut players are currently receiving at Grand Slams.
Mauresmo was asked directly if there’s a chance prize money would change this year, per the AP. Her response was reportedly clear.
“No, we are not going to change anything,” the former Australian Open and Wimbledon champion said, according to the AP.
“We are going to initiate discussions, and that is what everyone wants.”
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On Friday at Roland-Garros, a meeting between tournament organizers, players and their representatives is expected to take place. Also that day, the customary pre-tournament media day will be held, only this time several players are reportedly intending to purposely limit their press availability in an act of defiance.
It’s been reported that the protest will unfold in a symbolic 15-minute window, with Bounces reporting, according to The Athletic, that protest-participating players have now strategized to make themselves available for just 10 minutes of news conference questions. The collective 15 minutes is significant, as it represents the 15% of revenue, on average, Grand Slams allocate to prize money, per The Guardian, which also reported Wednesday that, during the tournament, players are planning to only take part in contractually-obligated flash interviews with rights holders after matches. It’s reportedly thought that indulging the tournament in that regard will make players unsusceptible to fines.
The players leading this labor movement are angling for players’ earnings to make up 22% of the Grand Slam prize pool, a share that’s akin to what they garner in joint ATP and WTA Tour events.
The 2026 French Open will produce $72.3 million in prize money, a 9.5% increase from last year’s tournament at Roland-Garros, according to The Athletic. While prize pools are growing larger at Grand Slams, they still aren’t accounting for the proportion of revenue the players feel they deserve.
Similar to the meeting poised to occur on Friday at Roland-Garros, talks with US Open and Wimbledon representatives are in line to happen as the French Open wears on, The Athletic reported.
Many players — including Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff — have been pushing for not only a sizable increase in prize money but also improved player welfare and pension provisions and more influence on Grand Slam tournament schedules.
At this year’s Italian Open, the Masters 1000 tournament that leads up to the French Open, Sabalenka floated the idea of a full-fledged boycott of a Grand Slam. Gauff, notably, said she could get behind that if players can “collectively agree.”
For now, it seems like players are taking less drastic measures to get their point across.