A group of 20 elite tennis players restricted their press interactions to 15 minutes during the Roland Garros Media Day on Friday, May 22, 2026, to protest the tournament's prize money distribution.
The coordinated action highlights growing player dissatisfaction with Grand Slam financial structures ahead of the main tournament kickoff.
According to reports from lequipe.
fr, the 2026 Roland Garros total prize pool stands at 61.72 million euros, a 9.5 percent increase from the previous year.
However, players point out that last year's tournament generated 400 million euros in total revenue, meaning the player payout remains around 15 percent of total earnings.
Stars Demand Higher Revenue Share
The protest list includes major stars such as Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, and Daniil Medvedev, as reported by welovetennis.
fr.
The players are collectively demanding that Grand Slam tournaments increase their revenue redistribution to 22 percent by the year 2030.
Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo addressed the media backlash on Thursday during the official tournament draw, expressing disappointment over the scaled-back media availability.
She stated that the current edition's financial allocations are already locked in and highlighted the historical growth of the tournament's compensation package.
Mauresmo noted that the prize money has doubled in ten years, not only for top players but also for qualifiers and early rounds.
She emphasized that Roland Garros, owned by the French Tennis Federation, operates under a unique model different from the ATP Tour, WTA, and other Grand Slams.
Sports economists noted that implementing the requested changes could impact broader developmental funding.
Christophe Lepetit, Economic Studies Head at CDES, explained to RFI that financial redistribution in individual sports operates under unique constraints compared to team sports.
Lepetit argued that if Roland Garros organizers decided to pay players more, it would come at the expense of tennis development in France.
He added that top players rely heavily on outside income rather than tournament winnings alone, a dynamic that differs sharply for lower-ranked competitors.
The main draw of Roland Garros is scheduled to begin on Sunday, May 24, 2026, under the shadow of ongoing discussions between player representatives and tournament executives.
