Aryna Sabalenka predicts that top tennis players will boycott grand slam tournaments to demand a larger share of the events’ surging revenues. “I think at some point we will boycott it, yeah,” Sabalenka stated during her pre-tournament press conference at the Italian Open. “I feel like that’s going to be the only way to fight for our rights.”
Player Demands for Fairer Compensation
Sabalenka’s remarks follow a joint statement from top 20 male and female players criticizing prize money at the upcoming French Open. Players contend they deserve greater compensation for driving tournament finances. “Definitely when you see the number and you see the amount the players [are] receiving … I feel like the show is on us,” Sabalenka explained. “I feel like without us there wouldn’t be a tournament and there wouldn’t be that entertainment. I feel like definitely we deserve to be paid more percentage.”
The player group has issued signed letters and public statements targeting the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open over the past year. They seek a fairer revenue split and contributions to player welfare funds, including pension initiatives backed by the men’s Association of Tennis Professionals and Women’s Tennis Association.
Swiatek Calls for Dialogue
Iga Swiatek, former world No. 1, voiced measured concerns about the majors’ prize structures. “I think we’ve been pretty reasonable in terms of our proposal and getting the fair share of revenue,” she said. “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. Hopefully before Roland Garros there’s going to be opportunity to have these type of meetings and we’ll see how they go.”
Swiatek expressed uncertainty about a boycott. “Boycotting the tournament, it’s a bit extreme kind of situation,” she noted. “I don’t know. I guess we as players are here to play as individuals, and we’re competing against each other.”
Unity Among Players
Sabalenka remains confident in player solidarity. “Let’s see how far we can get. If it’s going to take players for boycott. I feel like nowadays, 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,” she said. “I think at some point it’s going to get to this.”
