French Open holds firm on prize money as player tensions mount
Leading players including Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have curtailed media engagement ahead of a scheduled meeting with organisers over revenue share disputes.
Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo has confirmed that prize money for the 2026 French Open will remain unchanged, rejecting calls from top-ranked players to increase their compensation despite threats of a boycott. The decision comes amid growing friction between Roland Garros organisers and the professional circuit, with competitors arguing that their share of tournament revenue has declined significantly in recent years.
Mauresmo stated that while the total prize pot has risen to 61.7 million euros, representing a 5.3 million euro increase from the previous year, no further adjustments would be made for the current edition. The singles champions at Roland Garros will each receive 2.8 million euros, an increase of 250,000 euros from 2025. However, players contend that this rise does not offset the reduction in their percentage share of total revenue, which they allege has fallen from 15.5 per cent in 2024 to 14.3 per cent in 2026.
The dispute has led to visible unrest on the eve of the tournament. Many players competing at Roland Garros have limited their interactions with reporters to 15 minutes during the pre-tournament media day on Friday. This move follows protests led by world number one Aryna Sabalenka and fourth-ranked Coco Gauff, who have previously supported the idea of boycotting Grand Slam tournaments if compensation levels do not improve.
Mauresmo, a former Australian Open and Wimbledon champion, indicated that a meeting between tournament organisers and player representatives is scheduled for Friday. She expressed confidence that dialogue would continue, though she cautioned that a resolution would not be immediate. "I’m not going to tell you that everything will be resolved with the snap of a finger," Mauresmo said. "But the discussions will continue, probably after the tournament."
The French Open’s decision to increase prize money by approximately 10 per cent follows similar moves by other major tournaments, including the United States Open’s 20 per cent increase last year and the Australian Open’s 16 per cent rise this year. Despite these increases, players argue that the standard revenue share at typical ATP and WTA events is 22 per cent, significantly higher than the alleged 14.3 per cent at Roland Garros. The event generated 395 million euros in revenue in 2025, a 14 per cent year-on-year increase, yet prize money rose by just 5.4 per cent.
