Jannik Sinner in a “unionist” version against the Grand Slam tournaments: the Italian number one, in the unprecedented role of representative of the weakest, has harshly criticized the four major events of world tennis, accusing them of ignoring the requests made by the best players on the circuit regarding cash prizes and social benefits for lower level athletes. As reported by the Guardian newspaper, the proposals put forward in August by the top 10 of the ATP and WTA – which included a review of prizes and a fairer support system – were rejected, as was the request for an official match at the US Open. The tournaments reasoned the refusal by citing an ongoing lawsuit with the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), the organization founded by Novak Djokovic in 2020.
For his part, however, Sinner did not hide his opposition, reiterated in an interview with the same British newspaper: «We had good conversations at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, but we were disappointed when we were told that the Slams cannot follow up on our proposals until other issues are resolved. However, nothing prevents the Slams from now addressing issues such as pensions and healthcare.” The South Tyrolean tennis player, according to the British newspaper, became spokesperson for the claims, carving out space and time among the many tournaments, frequent trips, successes and the latest controversies.
Sinner reiterated the request for greater redistribution of revenues: «The Slams generate the majority of tennis profits. We ask for a fair contribution to support all players, and a prize pool that truly reflects the earnings from these tournaments. We want to work together to find positive solutions for everyone.” Currently, Grand Slam tournaments allocate between 12% and 15% of their overall earnings to player prizes, compared to 22% at major ATP and WTA events such as Indian Wells or the Italian Open. At Wimbledon 2024, the £50m prize pool (the equivalent of around €57m) represented just 12.3% of the more than £463m in revenue. However, the players’ battle is not just about money: in the letters sent to the tournaments, the athletes also asked for social protections – such as pensions, healthcare and maternity care – already partially guaranteed by the ATP and WTA circuits. The lack of transparency on the tournament accounts and the absence of dialogue seem to have exasperated the confrontation, underlines the Guardian, pushing figures such as Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka to side with Sinner in the protest. Although Wimbledon and the US Open have increased prize money by 7% and 5% respectively this year, players believe that these increases mainly end up in the pockets of the winners, penalizing those who stop in the early rounds. «Tennis does not only live on champions – underlined Sinner – but also on those who struggle every week to stay on the circuit».