Jannik Sinner did not shut down the idea of players boycotting Grand Slam tournaments after speaking openly about the growing fight over prize money and player treatment. The world no. 1 made the comments during the Italian Open in Rome, only days after Aryna Sabalenka warned that players may eventually skip major tournaments if their demands continue to be ignored. The debate has been building for more than a year. Top men’s and women’s players have been asking Grand Slam organizers for a bigger share of tournament revenue, better player welfare support, and stronger player representation. According to Sinner, the biggest issue is not just money. He believes players are not being treated with enough respect despite being the main reason fans watch the sport.Speaking to reporters in Rome, Jannik Sinner said, “It’s more about respect. I think we give much more than what we are getting back, it’s not only for the top players, it’s for all of us players, from men’s and women’s side.”The Italian star also shared frustration over how long talks have dragged on. He explained that top players sent letters to Grand Slam tournaments last year, but little progress has been made since then.“The top 10 men and top 10 women, we wrote a letter and it’s not nice that after one year we are not even close to a conclusion for what we would like to have,” Sinner added.
Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka push stronger player voice in Grand Slam prize money fight
Sinner’s comments came shortly after Aryna Sabalenka openly discussed the possibility of a player boycott. The Belarusian star said players may eventually need to take stronger action if they want real change from tournament organizers.“I feel like that’s going to be the only way to kind of, like, fight for our rights,” Sabalenka said earlier this week. “Let’s see how far we can get. If it’s going to take players for boycott.”Even though Sinner did not directly promise to boycott Grand Slam events, he admitted he understands why players are discussing it. He also pointed out that players are more united now than before.“It’s the first time that I feel like the players are all in the same scenario and in the same point of view,” Sinner said. “Without the players, they are not going to happen, any tournaments.”The argument comes at a time when Grand Slam prize money keeps rising. The French Open recently increased its total prize pool to £52.6 million. Last year’s US Open offered a record £63 million, while Wimbledon and the Australian Open also announced higher payouts. Novak Djokovic has also supported players having a stronger voice, though he has not confirmed whether he would join a possible boycott.
