Jannik Sinner (24) on Thursday called for greater respect from Grand Slam tournaments toward players amid an ongoing dispute over prize money distribution, though he remained cautious about endorsing a boycott — a stance some other top stars have taken.
Last year, nearly all leading players signed two letters addressed to the organizers of the four Grand Slams, demanding increased prize money, contributions to a player welfare fund to improve retirement and maternity benefits, and a voice in decisions that affect them. The letters requested that 22% of revenue from the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open be allocated to player prizes. However, Sinner admitted in Rome on Thursday that they remain far from achieving that goal.
“It’s more about respect. Because I think we give much more than we receive. It’s not just for the top players; it’s for all of us,” Sinner said in a press conference ahead of his debut at the Masters 1000 in Rome. “It’s not pleasant that after a year we are not even close to concluding what we would like to achieve.”
On Monday, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka stated she was ready to boycott Grand Slams to force organizers’ hands. Her comments followed a statement from players calling Roland Garros’ recent 9.5% prize money increase insufficient — amounting to just over 14% of the Paris tournament’s revenue.
Sinner struck a cautious tone when asked about a possible boycott. “Players are disappointed with the outcome at Roland Garros. We’ll see what happens. I understand players talking about a boycott because at some point we have to start. This has been going on for a long time. We’ll see in the future,” he said.
