Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka told to hit the brakes over Grand Slam boycott threat: 'Important to remember what they are doing'

The French Open has erupted into controversy after tennis stars like Jannik Sinnner and Aryna Sabalenka expressed concern over shrinking payouts and also warned of consequences. Despite the event organisers announcing a 10% increase in the overall pot, players feel they acquire a much smaller share of the tournament’s earnings.

Sabalenka and Sinner have sparked a heated debate by backing players’ threat to boycott Grand Slam events over the pay dispute, though their stance has drawn criticism from some former players.

Petchey speaks on Grand Slam's player revenue split

Former tennis star Mark Petchey pointed out that the players receive a disproportionately high share of earnings from the Grand Slam events as compared to the rest of the season. He gave the example of Sabalenka, highlighting that 58% of her prize money was from 27 Slam matches.

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Petchey also pointed out that the men's top 100 received 62% of their prize money from Slams, accounting for only 14% of their matches, adding that there should be a fairer split of revenues between the Grand Slams and other tournaments.  

“I think it’s important to remember what the slams are doing. I think you’ve got to look at things like Sabalenka last year. 58% of her prize money came from the majors. That’s just 27 matches compared to 75 that she played throughout the course of the season.

“If we take a look at the men’s top 100, 62% of their prize money comes from the Grand Slams. That equates to just 14% of their play in the season. I think the issue lies on both sides. Can it be fairer? I think there’s no question in my mind that there can be a fairer split of the revenues at the majors,” Petchey said on The Tennis Channel.

Vandeweghe criticises Tours over Slams 

CoCo Vandeweghe agreed with Petchey's remarks and also highlighted that tours have failed players more than the Grand Slam events, which have increased prize money and created many opportunities.

The former US-based tennis player believes the majors have tried to improve conditions, but Tour events haven't provided fair support and financial growth to the lower-ranked players.

“I think that you have to look at our Tours. I think the Tours have failed us more than the Grand Slams. The Grand Slams have increased their prize money. They’ve given us more opportunities than ever. And also, at the lower ranked, the Tour have not. The Tours have failed us as players, in my opinion," Vandeweghe added.

The French Open Grand Slam will kick off from May 18 to June 7, 2026, at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France.