Aryna Sabalenka is prepared to boycott Grand Slams to force a fairer distribution of prize money. The world number 1 said this at a press conference at the Rome tournament. There she explained why she and other tennis professionals expressed their ‘deep disappointment’ in an open letter on Monday about the prize money at Roland Garros.
“We put on a show. Without us there would be no tournaments, without us there would be no entertainment. I think we should be paid better,” said Sabalenka. “At some point we will have to boycott if that is the only way to defend our rights,” the Belarusian player continued.
In April, the top players from the ATP and WTA circuits jointly signed a letter to the organizers of the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open, demanding a fairer distribution of prize money. They asked for an increase in the share that would be awarded to players to 22 percent.
Although Roland Garros has increased its prize money for this year’s edition (by 9.5 percent to 61.7 million euros), Sabalenka and associates do not agree with their share. “That will probably remain below 15 percent, far from the requested 22 percent.”
