Jannik Sinner calls grand slams for postponing talks on welfare and prize money

Jannik Sinner has criticized the grand slam tournaments for failing to respond to repeated requests from the world’s top stars to discuss prize money and welfare benefits for lower-ranked players.

The Guardian has learned that detailed proposals from the world’s top 10 male and female players on changes to prize money were rejected at the grand slam tournaments in August, while their request for a meeting to discuss their concerns at the US Open was also rejected.

However, the Grand Slam tournaments are believed to have told players they cannot hold substantive talks until a separate lawsuit brought by the Professional Tennis Players Association is resolved. They also referred to the ongoing negotiations about the tennis calendar and plans for a so-called Premium Tour.

Sinner expressed frustration at Grand Slam tournaments’ refusal to discuss welfare benefits in particular, and reiterated players’ calls for more prize money.

The players argue that the ratio of prize money to total tournament income is too low: about 12% to 15% for the four grand slam tournaments, compared to 22% on the ATP and WTA tours, such as Indian Wells and the Italian Open, where male and female players earn the same prize money. Last year at Wimbledon, the total prize pool of £50 million was 12.3% of the championships’ £406.5 million turnover.

“We had good discussions with the grand slams at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, so it was disappointing when they said they cannot respond to our proposals until other issues are resolved,” Sinner told the Guardian.

“Calendar and planning are important topics, but nothing is now stopping the slams from addressing player welfare benefits such as pensions and healthcare.

“The Grand Slams are the biggest events and generate the majority of revenue in tennis, so we are asking for a fair contribution to support all players, and for prize money that better reflects what these tournaments deliver. We want to work with the Slams to find solutions that are good for everyone in tennis.”

The Guardian can also reveal details of the failed negotiations that took place this summer and which led to Sinner speaking out on behalf of his fellow professionals. Many of the ATP players who signed the letters, including Carlos Alcaraz who said last month that the players were “fighting to have something better,” are expected to follow suit this week at the Paris Masters.

The dispute began in March when the top 10 players on both the men’s and women’s tours sent a letter to all Grand Slam tournaments demanding a greater share of the proceeds from the four events. The letter also outlined frustration that the grand slams are not contributing to players’ welfare benefits such as pensions, healthcare and maternity benefits, while the ATP and WTA tours together pay $80 million (£60 million) annually. It also led to grievances over the inability of the major championships to consult on major scheduling changes such as the Sunday starts of the Australian and US Opens, which were introduced in 2024 and 2025 respectively.

The first talks between executives representing the grand slams and the players and their representative, Larry Scott, a former player who was also chairman and CEO of the WTA, took place three days before the start of the French Open in May. The players were represented by Sinner, Casper Ruud and Alex de Minaur from the ATP tour, and Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Madison Keys from the WTA.

Further meetings took place between Scott and the CEOs of the grand slam tournaments at Wimbledon in July, when the players were represented by Alexander Zverev and Belinda Bencic. Although cordial, it is believed there has been some frustration among players over the Grand Slams’ refusal to share requested financial details.

The ATP and WTA tours are also believed to be unhappy with what they see as a lack of transparency and open communication at the grand slams, despite a long-standing agreement to cooperate on prize money.

Both Wimbledon and the US Open share purse information with the ATP and WTA Tour teams before it is made public, including a breakdown of prize money per round for singles, doubles and qualifiers, but they do not get a say in the total amount. In previous years, the tours were asked for input regarding the allocation of prize money per round and were usually given approximately 48 hours to respond before the total prize money for each round of the competition was publicly announced.

Wimbledon announced a 7% increase in prize money this year, for a total prize fund of £53 million, but the bulk of the winnings went to the four semi-finalists in the men’s and women’s singles, with the winners – Sinner and the women’s champion, Iga Swiatek – both receiving £3 million. The increase for the rest of the main component was 5%, while UK inflation was 3.5%, so the wage increase was limited in real terms.

The WTA Players’ Council is said to have sent a counter-proposal to the All England Club, stating that the prize allocation was too heavy and suggesting that more money would be given to players eliminated before the last 16, but this was rejected. A similar dialogue took place in August with the US Tennis Federation, ahead of the US Open, which offered the largest cash prize in tennis history with a result of £63.8 million.

Last month, Gauff said of the grand slam prize money distribution: “I think it’s important for the whole ecosystem of the sport. We’re not just talking about raising the prize money for the champion, but trickling down to the qualifiers.”

“We actually want them [the grand slam championships] to invest more in the tour as a whole, not just in terms of prize money but also in player welfare and trickle down all the way to the lower ranked players. Our 200th best player, 300th best player, is struggling to make ends meet.”

Detailed proposals from the players for revised prize money were submitted to grand slam tournaments in August.

The lack of a strong response disappointed the players so much that a second letter demanding change was sent the same month, also signed by British No. 1 Jack Draper, who was not ranked in the world’s top 10 earlier this year.

The increasingly bitter dispute over prize money, pensions and health care benefits and a lack of consultation over the calendar have dominated the tennis season.

A delegation of top players, including Sinner and Gauff, were involved in discussions with tournament officials at the French Open and Wimbledon this year. The players submitted proposals after these meetings on how to move forward in conjunction with the grand slam events, which responded by citing the ongoing PTPA lawsuit as an obstacle to holding negotiations.

The PTPA, that was it founded four years ago by Novak Djokovicfiled an antitrust lawsuit in March against the ATP Tour, the WTA Tour and the International Tennis Federation, accusing them of suppressing competition, manipulating prize money and imposing a restrictive ranking system on players. Djokovic is a notable absentee from the alliance of top players who signed the letters to the Grand Slam tournaments.