Wimbledon organisers are hoping to avoid player protests over prize money after similar action overshadowed the French Open just two weeks ago.
The All England Club is optimistic that its upcoming prize money announcement will satisfy leading players, who have been vocal in their demands for a larger share of Grand Slam revenues.
During Roland Garros, many of the world’s top tennis stars limited their pre-event media engagements to a symbolic 15 minutes each.
This gesture was intended to highlight what players claim is the approximately 15 per cent of revenue the French Open allocates to prize money – a figure they believe falls significantly short of the 22 per cent they are pushing for across all major tournaments.
The scrutiny on Wimbledon’s prize money reveal, scheduled for a press conference next Thursday, is expected to be intense. Last year, the Championships paid out £53.5 million, a seven per cent increase on 2024, but this represented less than 13 per cent of its total revenue.
To meet the players’ desired 16 per cent share for this year, Wimbledon would need to boost its prize fund to around £70 million, a substantial increase that appears unlikely in a single jump.
Despite this, the Press Association understands organisers are hopeful players will be content enough to prevent any form of protest.
Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton recently met with players’ representative Larry Scott in Paris to discuss prize money and other player demands, which include contributions to welfare programmes and greater involvement in decision-making.
A Wimbledon spokesperson confirmed the discussions, stating: “We were pleased to have the opportunity to meet with the players’ representative at Roland Garros. Our discussions about the arrangements for this year’s Championships were positive. We look forward to continuing these discussions in further detail after The Championships.”
The group of players, which includes world number ones Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner, first outlined their concerns in a letter to all Grand Slams last spring.
They have since expressed increasing frustration over what they perceive as a lack of engagement and respect from tournament organisers. Sabalenka even raised the prospect of a boycott in Rome last month, though universal support for such drastic action is not yet confirmed.
Larry Scott, formerly chairman and chief executive of the WTA, also held talks with US Open chiefs.
The French Open has reportedly promised concrete proposals on the issues within the next month. Players are understood to have been emboldened by the impact of their French Open protest, which primarily targeted broadcasters – a crucial revenue stream for the Slams – potentially making similar action at Wimbledon more probable.
French Open tournament director Amelie Mauresmo acknowledged the ongoing dialogue, telling reporters that despite legal advice against it, they chose to engage with the players.
“The most important (thing) is to have this partnership with the players,” she said.
“In my opinion, because this communication is back for us, as far as we are concerned, I’m confident that things are going to move forward and that everyone will understand each other. There needs to be steps from both sides to make sure that this partnership is working.”
