French Open 2026 could witness an unprecedented boycott as top tennis players, including Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner, are contemplating staging a protest over a prize money dispute. Sabalenka, alongside fellow world No. 1 Sinner and several other top players, released a joint statement on Monday voicing their concerns with the French Open’s prize money distribution.
The French Open announced a 10% increase in the total prize money pot, which would take the total prize money to 61.7 million euros ($72.1 million), a 5.3 million Euros jump from last year. But the players demanded a fairer share of the tournament revenue, demanding a far greater balance in the prize money. They pointed out that Rolland Garros has enjoyed a healthy increase in revenue over the years with the 2025 campaign generating to the tune of generated 395 million Euros.
But total prize money has increased by just 5.4%, reducing players’ share of revenue to 14.3%.
Sabalenka argued that over the years, grand slams have generated a huge amount of revenue, but players haven't been a part of the conversation. The upcoming French Open is expected to generate a whopping 400 million Euros, and players are striving to get 22% of that revenue.
At the Italian Open, Sabalenka said, “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.
“I think at some point we will boycott it. I feel like that’s going to be the only way to fight for our rights."
Australian Open already raised players' compensation by 16%, while the U.S. Open also upped its prize money by 20% last year. The French Open, scheduled to start on May 24, will award €2.8 million to each singles champion, €1.4 million to the runners‑up, €750,000 to semifinalists, and €87,000 to players eliminated in the first round.
