Tennis players to cut short French Open media interviews over prize-money dispute
Players at tennis's elite level have begun a striking protest ahead of the opening week of the French Open, one of the world's most prestigious tournaments. Men's and women's players led by the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) have announced they will keep media interviews short during the tournament and impose a minute cap on post-match conferences. The move centres on the view that the share distributed to players from the total revenue of the four Grand Slams is insufficient.
The PTPA, founded in 2022 by Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil, is a player organisation operating outside the existing WTA and ATP structures. According to figures the association published in mid-May, the four Grand Slams (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open) generate roughly $2.4 billion in combined annual revenue; about 18% of that (roughly $430 million) is paid out to players as prize money. The PTPA argues that this ratio falls well below the roughly 50% revenue-share ratios in other major professional sports.
The concrete shape of the decision foresees players answering only three questions in the post-match media zone and limiting television interviews to 60 seconds. In press conferences, if topics such as prize money, player health or schedule congestion are raised, players are planning to give a single 'we are commenting through the PTPA' answer. The action will run through the main draw of Roland-Garros, which began on 25 May.
The French Tennis Federation (FFT), organisers of the French Open, reminded Reuters that the tournament increased the total prize pool distributed to players in 2025 to 53.5 million euros, marking an 8% rise. FFT president Gilles Moretton said, 'we are in continuous dialogue with athletes, but we argue that prize sharing must account not only for annual cash flow but also for long-term investments.'
British tennis figure Andy Murray (still active) said on Twitter he supported the action: 'It is overdue that players speak out about real economic injustice. It is a fact that most of the field outside the top 100 competitors finishes the season at a loss.' Spanish women's player Paula Badosa also said she supported the PTPA's work, but that her personal support would be clarified 'once it is clear how the final decision structures benefits for the base of the player pyramid.'
The WTA and ATP are consulting their PR teams to issue a formal response to PTPA's claims. The two associations stress that they apply annual increases of 5-7% to prize money at their own tournaments, operating independently of the Grand Slams. It is clear that the PTPA's main target is the Grand Slam organisers directly; the WTA/ATP therefore appear likely to adopt a quiet role through the protest period.
The industry effects of the decision are also being debated. Broadcasters such as Eurosport, Discovery+, ESPN and France Televisions spend roughly 200 million euros annually on Grand Slam rights. Sponsorship contracts are priced based on the visibility of players in interviews; one tennis press officer told Reuters, 'if the protest lasts a week, the visibility of contracted sponsors will decline significantly.' Broadcasters are therefore also expected to pressure the organisers.
Revenue-sharing debates are not new in professional sports. The 2023 NBA collective bargaining agreement sets the player share at 51%, in the NFL it sits around 48%. Individual sports such as tennis, golf and horse racing have historically remained far from these ratios; organisations at the royal-and-billionaire-investor level have not shared major revenues with athletes who are not on club rosters. The PTPA's 2025 strategy is focused on breaking this historical asymmetry.
The on-court play during the first week of the French Open was not affected by the move. In the first round, star players such as Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Jannik Sinner beat their opponents on outer courts. But many players were seen pulling away from microphones after 30-45-second remarks in mixed-media zones, indicating that the segment was concluded. Broadcasters justified this on-air with a chyron of 'interview limited due to player protest.'
The action's effect over the remaining weeks could extend to Wimbledon and the US Open. The PTPA announced that similar actions would be organised in the opening weeks of Wimbledon (starting 30 June) and the US Open (starting 24 August). Wimbledon's organiser, the All England Lawn Tennis Club, operates strict media protocols; the protest could generate higher visibility at that tournament. The tennis world has locked in for the next seven months on negotiations between players and tournament administrations.