Stefanos Tsitsipas shares the solution to the economic dispute between tennis players and Grand Slam events
Following a letter demanding a substantial increase in prize money in Grand Slam events co-signed by players in the top 20 of the ATP and WTA, Stefanos Tsitsipas has also voiced his opinion on the issue.
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Stefanos Tsitsipas (image via Instagram @stefanostsitsipas98)
World No. 8 Stefanos Tsitsipas recently called on tennis players to “unite” in their pursuit to obtain a greater share of the revenue generated by the four Grand Slam events. This follows a letter demanding a substantial increase in prize money co-signed and then sent by the players in the top 20 of the ATP and WTA tournaments to the organizers of the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
Prior to this letter, legal action was filed by the PTPA (Professional Tennis Players Association) against the ATP, WTA, ITF, and ITIA. Currently, the proportion of revenue from the four Grand Slams received by the players (around 15% according to them) “is far from where it should be,” judged the former World No. 3 during a press conference in Monte Carlo, where the first Masters 1000 of the clay-court season is underway.
Players simply have to unite and speak with one voice on this issue. Sometimes I get the impression that tennis separates us from each other. The challenge is for all of us to come together and achieve what benefits us.
Stefanos Tsitsipas said via L’Equipe
A few days after the letter sent by members of the top 20 made headlines, Tsitsipas expressed that he was “surprised” that such a request had not been made earlier. The Greek tennis star reiterated the importance of working together to push the organizers of the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open to “try” to make the distribution of revenue “as fair as possible” for the players. Several other players like Emma Navarro, Qinwen Zheng and Casper Ruud have also been vocal on this issue.
Compared to other sports, tennis players believe they receive a much smaller share of revenue
In essence, this letter co-signed by the top 20 players calls for a greater distribution of profits made by the four prestigious Grand Slam events to benefit the main stakeholders – the players, without whom the show would not take place. This approach is not new.
It is motivated, among other things, by comparison with other major sports, especially American sports, such as the NBA, whose players are guaranteed to receive 50% of the revenue generated by the league during a season.
Contrasting this with tennis on the other hand, taking an example of the Roland Garros, the overall prize money for the event last year was €53.478 million, or just under 16% of the tournament’s revenue, estimated at €338 million at the end of the 2024 edition.
The publication of the prize money for the upcoming Roland-Garros tournament, generally issued a month before the event commences, will surely be eagerly awaited by the players.
Stefanos Tsitsipas is eyeing a fourth Monte Carlos Masters title
Stefanos Tsitsipas will be competing for a fourth title at the Monte Carlo Masters this year. The 26-year-old will also be competing for his second title of the season after victory at the Dubai Tennis Championships. He is tied with Thomas Muster, Bjorn Borg, and Ilie Nastase for the triple crown in this tournament in the Open Era. Only Rafael Nadal surpasses this quartet with a record 11 Monte Carlo Masters titles.
Tsitsipas won the 2021 Monte Carlos Masters by defeating Andrey Rublev in the finals, marking his first ATP Masters 1000 title. Remarkably, he did not drop a set in the tournament. With this triumph he also became the first Greek to win a Masters tournament.
In 2021, he defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the finals to defend his Monte Carlo Masters title. In 2024, Tsitsipas won his third Monte Carlo Masters title, defeating Casper Ruud in the finals.
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