French Open is first grand slam to share revenue with players

The French Open became the first grand slam tournament to offer players a share of the event’s revenue, marking a significant advancement in the ongoing disputes over prize money. Officials from Roland Garros made the proposal to the players’ representative, Larry Scott, during discussions held at Wimbledon a fortnight ago, placing added pressure on the US Open, which is expected to announce its prize fund for this year’s tournament at the beginning of next month.

Though an agreement is still pending, the French Open’s decision to adopt a profit-share model for determining prize money represents a major shift, setting it apart from the three other grand slam tournaments.

Recently, Debbie Jevans, chair of the All England Club, upset players by stating that it made “no sense” to use tournament revenues to establish prize money. This comment resulted in players threatening a media boycott for the first week of Wimbledon, though the protest was ultimately called off.

In contrast, the French Open's commitment to revenue sharing comes along with a promise to support player pensions and healthcare, as well as to provide players with greater input in the management of the tournament. Players are demanding assurances that all grand slam tournaments will allocate 16% of their revenue for prize money with immediate effect, increasing to 22% by 2030.

Although grand slam tournaments have significantly raised prize money in recent years, players are pushing for a formula rooted in revenue sharing, rather than being left in the dark each year waiting for notification regarding the annual payout. The US Open faces heightened scrutiny, having had more time to come to an agreement with players, especially with the new chief executive of the US Tennis Association, Craig Tiley, taking office next month.

Notably, a number of players, including world No 1, Jannik Sinner, have indicated they might not participate in the US Open’s mixed doubles event that precedes the singles competition at Flushing Meadows if substantial progress is not achieved.

Last year, the US Open increased its prize money by 21% to $85 million, compared to $70 million the previous year. A similar increase this year could mean that players receive a total prize fund exceeding $100 million for the first time.