Sabalenka Urges Grand Slams to Talk as Players Push for Fairer Pay and Better Support

World number one Aryna Sabalenka has called on tennis’ four Grand Slam tournaments to sit down with players and discuss fairer prize money and stronger support for player welfare.

Sabalenka is one of around 20 top male and female players asking Wimbledon, the Australian Open, the French Open, and the US Open to share more of their tournament earnings with all competitors — not just the winners. The group also wants better protection for players’ physical and mental health, along with a bigger say in how tournaments are run.

“The Grand Slams are the top of our sport,” Sabalenka said. “I just ask that they come to the table and talk so we can find solutions that work for everyone.”

Many of the sport’s biggest names, including Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, Casper Ruud, and Ben Shelton, have joined the call for change. They say earlier talks with the Grand Slams have not led to action and that players’ voices are not being properly heard.

The players’ main requests fall into three areas:

• Prize money: A larger share of the revenue should go to players, especially those in the earlier rounds.

• Player welfare: The Grand Slams should contribute to pensions, healthcare, and maternity support, as the ATP and WTA already do.

• More consultation: Players want a stronger role in decisions that affect scheduling, late-night matches, and the length of tournaments.

Currently, the Grand Slams are believed to give players between 12.5% and 20% of their revenue in prize money, though tournament officials dispute those figures. By comparison, athletes in major American sports leagues earn 40–50% of their sport’s income.

The players have suggested a gradual increase over five years, aiming for at least 22%, similar to top ATP and WTA events. They also want each Slam to create a player consultation group to focus on welfare and scheduling issues.

Sabalenka and other leading players met Grand Slam officials at the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year to present their proposals. They say the responses since then have been disappointing, with little sign of progress.

“It’s frustrating,” said Belinda Bencic, one of the players involved in the talks. “We made clear, realistic proposals, but we haven’t seen much willingness to act.”

The Grand Slams have defended their record, pointing out that prize money has risen sharply in recent years. Wimbledon, for example, paid out £53.55 million this year — more than double what it offered in 2014. The first-round prize money has gone up by over 100% in the past decade, and qualifying players now earn three times more than they did ten years ago.

In a statement, Wimbledon said: “We are always open to constructive discussions to ensure the best future for our sport and our players.”

The other Grand Slams have also said they are willing to keep talking, but players insist that words must now turn into real action.