Worries around a potential boycott of Grand Slams came to the forefront of the tennis world prior to Roland Garros.
After it was revealed that the French Open had increased its overall prize money pot, a statement released by top ATP and WTA stars highlighted that the player share of revenue at the tournament was actually set to decrease.
Women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka then led calls for a boycott of majors if no changes to prize money at the four biggest tournaments are made.
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Top players have threatened to boycott Grand Slams over prize money concerns…
Her rival, Iga Swiatek, replied by saying that a boycott in response to the situation would be ‘extreme’.
Now, ahead of Wimbledon, Swiatek has expanded on her thoughts regarding tournament prize money at Grand Slams.
Iga Swiatek discusses prize money at major tournaments
In an interview with the Financial Times, Swiatek said: “We earn a lot of money, obviously. I cannot say that we’re struggling, but let’s talk about players that are top 200, top 100 even; they can’t afford to have a proper coach or physio.
“Tennis is a sport that has been leading this change, [starting] with Billie Jean King. I feel like the WNBA has surpassed us in terms of what they did (the basketball player association this year successfully negotiated about 20 per cent revenue share). It’s a great example.
“What we do, I feel like it’s important also for other sports and athletes that are lower-ranked. The whole thing is to change the structure.
“Yes, when we win big tournaments, your life is kind of set. But it’s about these players that don’t have this situation.
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“The revenue [sharing] is really interesting. I remember playing tournaments where I wasn’t high-ranked and I had much less stuff to do.
“These obligations [with media and sponsors] during tournaments are more and more every year. We are the people promoting these events and so we felt like it’s the right moment to push tournaments to have a proper dialogue.”
The prize money on offer at the 2026 Wimbledon championships
The prize money pot for the 2026 Wimbledon championships was recently announced, and the tournament will see a record fund this year.
A total of £64.2 million will be up for grabs at the All England Club this year, which is a 20% increase on 2025.
Winners in both men’s and women’s singles will receive £3.6 million, while the runner-up will earn £1.8 million.
There has also been a 21% increase in first-round singles prize money, with a main draw appearance awarding £80,000.
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