Wimbledon Issues Firm Statement About Tennis Star’s Planned Protest Over Prize Money Share

The top men’s and women’s tennis players have decided to continue their protest at Wimbledon for a greater share of major tournament revenue. This is the second consecutive Grand Slam event the players have protested, having done so at the French Open a month ago, a move that was both criticized and praised by the media.

At the French Open, the players limited their pre-tournament media duties to just 15 minutes. However, at Wimbledon, they plan to extend the protest until the end of the first week of the tournament, also limiting their post-match media duties during the event. Several top players, including Coco Gauff, Alexander Zverev, and Aryna Sabalenka, took part in the protest at Roland Garros.

The top players in the WTA and ATP have been in dispute with Grand Slam organizers over the share of each tournament’s revenue. It began last year in March, and players expected greater improvement in their prize money, but they received less than 15% of the total revenue pool at the French Open.

The minimal movement in the prize money pot prompted the top players to boycott all but their mandatory media obligations during their pre-tournament media day at Roland Garros. They refused to speak to any of the broadcast rights holders, who paid a significant amount for the tournament.

Nonetheless, this year’s Wimbledon has set a 20% increase in prize money, with a total rise of £64.2 million ($86.2 million). But that is just 14.4% of the total revenue pool, falling short of the 16% which players are clamoring for despite acknowledging the significant rise. Nevertheless, a spokesperson for Wimbledon was not pleased with the players’ planned protest and revealed to Sky Sports that they are disappointed by the tennis stars’ decision:

We are surprised and disappointed by this action. Wimbledon puts the players at the heart of all our decisions, and we invest significantly in them every year. This is alongside investing hundreds of millions of pounds in upgrades to our player facilities as part of a three-year transformation to create a world-class player performance environment.

The top players’ representatives have revealed that the prize money share would have been £71 million ($93.4 million) if the organizers had adhered to their proposed 16% revenue share of the Wimbledon money pool.

All England Club Chief blasts players for not being considerate about the prize money issue

The planned protest by top tennis stars began to brew just after the Wimbledon Championships released its prize money share and total revenue. It is worth noting that players’ representatives had met with the tournament organizers last year and perhaps came to a substantial agreement about what the players’ share should be in this year’s edition.

But a few weeks ago, the All England Club chair Debbie Jevans admitted that the total revenue does not take into account the investment the tournament has made to make it more conducive to players and fans. She highlighted that Grand Slam tournaments are non-profit events, different from other tour-level tournaments:

Revenue does not take into account the investment we have made. We are a non-profit, we are very different to a Masters 1000 event, and everything goes back into the sport. I am frustrated that the message has not gotten across.

Wimbledon’s media day is scheduled for Saturday (May 28), just two days before the tournament kicks off and one day after the main draw. Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Novak Djokovic are part of the top players seeking a greater share in the Grand Slam revenue pool.

Also Read: Eva Lys Reveals Social Media Abuse She Received After Early Bad Homburg Open Exit