Following a coordinated media protest from tennis’ top players ahead of the French Open, the French Tennis Federation met with player representatives Friday to discuss, according to Agence France-Presse.
The FFT also plans to meet directly with some of the players involved in the coordinated “work-to-rule” protest executed Friday. More than a dozen tennis stars—including World No. 1s Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner—limited their media day availability to just 15 minutes and fulfilled only their mandatory media requirements.
The primary cause for player protests has been revenue sharing. Players are lobbying to receive 22% of revenue at the Grand Slams by 2030. The prize pool at Roland-Garros is 15% of projected revenue, and it’s down from 15.5% last year.
Last year, the top players sent top two separate letters to tournament organizers requesting a larger revenue share alongside additional player welfare improvements, including a pension and maternity benefits. But changes have yet to be seen, and players have become increasingly restless, with some even threatening to boycott tournaments.
Sinner said last week that he feels a lack of “respect” from the Grand Slam organizers: “When we have to wait for over a year for just a small response, having the best ten players, it’s not nice.”
