The French Tennis Federation (FFT) has committed to presenting concrete proposals regarding increased prize money, player welfare, and representation within the next month, following discussions with leading agents at the French Open. The talks occurred on Friday, coinciding with a media boycott by many players, including world No. 1s Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, who limited their pre-tournament media briefings to 15 minutes in protest of what they consider insufficient prize money from the four grand slams.
The players fulfilled only mandatory duties—a press conference and an interview with the host broadcaster—instead of the usual 60 to 90 minutes devoted to interviews, photoshoots, and other media activities. The slams allocate approximately 15% of tournament revenues to prize money, but players demand an increase to 22%, matching the percentage paid by the ATP and WTA Tours.
Sources familiar with Friday's meeting, which included three FFT representatives, players' representative Larry Scott, and a group of player agents, described the talks as positive and vindicating the boycott. One source noted that a single day of direct action achieved more than a year of behind-the-scenes discussions. The FFT has pledged to return with detailed proposals within a fortnight of the Roland Garros finals, with players insisting that any prize money increase must be accompanied by discussions on welfare and representation.
Amélie Mauresmo, Roland Garros tournament director and former world No. 1, defended the FFT's prize money decisions on Thursday, stating that the tournament's model differs from the Tours and other slams. She highlighted infrastructure improvements and a doubling of prize money over the past decade, benefiting not only top players but also qualifiers and early-round participants.
The All England Club has offered to establish a player council at Wimbledon to give players a voice in tournament operations, but players deem this insufficient. Further meetings with the All England Club and the United States Tennis Association are scheduled in Paris next week, with players keeping protest options open for Wimbledon, starting June 29. Tennis Australia is not involved due to its separate dispute, having sided with the Professional Tennis Players Association in a legal case against the other three slams.
