Tennis’s four Grand Slam tournaments have agreed to establish a formal player advisory council, a joint venture aimed at defusing a lengthy dispute over prize money and revenue sharing between top players and major organisers, according to The Guardian. Sporting matters affecting the Grand Slam tournaments collectively will be addressed through the council on a joint basis, while individual tournaments will use the platform to discuss player welfare and compensation matters, including prize money, in accordance with each event’s distinct structure and applicable legal requirements.
Grand Slam Tournaments Agree to Form Formal Player Advisory Council
The creation of the council follows roughly 18 months of tensions between the majors and leading competitors. Stars including Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff have pushed for a greater share of tournament revenues. Players have demanded that the Grand Slams match the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tours by allocating 22% of their revenues to prize money. By comparison, prize money allocations at events like Wimbledon have historically hovered around 14.4% of total tournament revenues.
Background of Protests and Player Pressure
Long-simmering tensions over major tournament earnings trace back to organised player pushes such as the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), founded in 2020 by Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil. Frustrations boiled over into visible action when top players withdrew from contracted media activities at the French Open, cutting post-match media duties down to 15 minutes as a symbolic nod to the 15% of revenue Grand Slams traditionally allocate to prize money. Although a planned media boycott ahead of Wimbledon was called off following late negotiations, threats of further protests persisted alongside discussions surrounding the US Open.
Players welcomed the formation of the new council and the opportunity for direct engagement with tournament organisers. The Grand Slams are the biggest events of the year and the events that the players prioritize and focus on throughout the season. Their impact on a player’s career cannot be overstated, and that is why it is so important that we have a voice in matters at these tournaments,
stated Jessica Pegula, as reported by Rolandgarros.
Organisers Welcome New Space for Dialogue
Tournament leadership has similarly endorsed the collaborative framework. Gilles Moretton, the President of the French Tennis Federation, emphasized the positive outlook of the agreement, stating, The creation of the Grand Slam Player Council will have a positive impact on our sport. By creating a new space for dialogue, we are giving players more opportunities to help shape, alongside us, the continued growth of Grand Slam Tennis
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The announcement coincides with the lead-up to the US Open under the leadership of USTA CEO Craig Tiley, with total prize money for the tournament expected to exceed $100 million for the first time. While players await the finer details regarding council representation procedures and governance, the establishment of the formal advisory body marks a significant step toward formalising channels for welfare, compensation, and operational dialogue across all four major championships.
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