The players have sent individual proposals to each of the four Grand Slams for the changes they would like to see implemented.
There are three general points of interest:
prize money – a higher prize money to revenue ratio in recognition of what players contribute to the financial success of the tournaments, with more money trickling through the draws
player well-being – how much the Grand Slams are willing to contribute to pension, healthcare and maternity pots
more consultation – the players want a say in major decisions at the Slams to alleviate grueling schedules, late night finishes and drawn-out tournaments
Sinner told the Guardian, external earlier this week he believed the Grand Slams should make a “fair contribution to supporting all players”, with the men’s world number one wanting players’ pensions and healthcare to be addressed immediately.
Currently, the Grand Slams do not contribute to player welfare programs. The ATP Tour and WTA Tour together provide £60 million in financial support and leading players would like to see the majors make a similar contribution.
In an interview with the Independent, external American top 10 player Ben Shelton highlighted the difference in the percentage of prize money income between tennis and other sports.
Player representatives say the Grand Slam tournaments – which are the pinnacle of the sport – would pay players between 12.5% and 20% of their revenues by 2024.
However, Grand Slam insiders dispute those figures. For example, the Australian Open is believed to provide 23% of its revenue in prize money.
By comparison, stars who play in the four major American sports leagues – NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB – are paid between 40% and 50% of the revenue their leagues generate.
While the tennis stars understand that team sports are a very different model, they have asked each Grand Slam for a phased increase over the next five years, ultimately bringing them closer to the 22% they achieve at some of the major combined ATP and WTA tour events.
A player consultation group at all Grand Slams – focusing specifically on the majors, as opposed to existing tour player councils – has also been proposed for the tournaments.
“It has been a long time since we have had both ATP and WTA players working together to have more say in decision-making and contributions,” said three-time major finalist Casper Ruud.
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