Tension is rising on the eve of Roland-Garros. Tournament director Amélie Mauresmo confirmed Thursday that prize money will not change for 2026, despite growing pushback from players on both the ATP and WTA tours.
"No, we are not going to change anything. We are going to initiate discussions, and that is what everyone wants," declared the former world number one during her press conference. A blunt refusal that threatens to escalate an already heated dispute.
The numbers tell the story. Roland-Garros generated 395 million euros in revenue in 2025, a 14% year-on-year increase. Yet the players' share has slipped from 15.5% in 2024 to an estimated 14.3% this year. The total prize pool stands at 61.7 million euros, up 5.3 million, but the top twenty players are demanding a 22% share, in line with standard ATP and WTA tournament redistribution rates.
Aryna Sabalenka, the world number one, and Coco Gauff, ranked fourth on the WTA tour, are among the strongest voices in the movement. Both champions have publicly backed the idea of a Grand Slam boycott if organizers refuse to increase the redistribution. An extreme scenario, but the mere fact that players of this caliber are floating it reveals the depth of the frustration.
In an immediate response, several players competing at Roland-Garros plan to limit their media interactions to fifteen minutes during Friday's pre-tournament press day. A coordinated symbolic gesture designed to draw attention to the perceived imbalance between the revenues generated by the tennis spectacle and the share returned to those who produce it on court.
Mauresmo attempted to defuse the situation. "I'm not going to tell you that everything will be resolved with the snap of a finger. But the discussions will continue, probably after the tournament." A promise of dialogue that, for now, satisfies no one.
The context makes this standoff particularly delicate. Roland-Garros remains the least generous Grand Slam in terms of percentage redistributed to athletes. The Australian Open and US Open have already implemented significant increases in recent years, placing the Porte d'Auteuil in an uncomfortable position.
Singles champions will each pocket 2.8 million euros, a 250,000-euro increase from 2025. A substantial sum in absolute terms, but one that carries little weight against the tournament's overall revenue growth. First-round losers, the players for whom every euro matters most, will see an even more modest increase.
The broader question extends well beyond Paris. It raises a structural debate about wealth distribution in a sport where Grand Slam tournaments capture the lion's share of media attention and revenue while operating outside the standard ATP and WTA framework.
The first matches are scheduled for Sunday. Between now and then, Friday promises to be as tense in the press room as it will be on the practice courts.
