Aryna Sabalenka predicts that top tennis players will boycott grand slam tournaments to demand a larger share of the events’ surging revenues. “I think at some point we will boycott it, yeah,” Sabalenka stated during her pre-tournament press conference at the Italian Open. “I feel like that’s going to be the only way to fight for our rights.”
Sabalenka Highlights Players’ Contributions
Her remarks follow a joint statement from top 20 male and female players criticizing prize money at the upcoming French Open. Sabalenka emphasizes fair compensation for players’ role in driving tournament success. “Definitely when you see the number and you see the amount the players [are] receiving … I feel like the show is on us,” she explained. “I feel like without us there wouldn’t be a tournament and there wouldn’t be that entertainment. I feel like definitely we deserve to be paid more percentage.”
Sabalenka expresses hope for successful negotiations. “What can I say? I just really hope that all of the negotiation that we are having, we at some point are going to get to the right decision, to the conclusion that everyone will be happy with,” she added.
Ongoing Player Demands
A coalition of players has issued private letters and public statements targeting the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. They argue for a higher revenue share and support for player welfare, including pension funds backed by the men’s Association of Tennis Professionals and the Women’s Tennis Association.
Iga Swiatek’s Balanced View
Iga Swiatek, former world No. 1, offers cautious criticism of the grand slams. “I think we’ve been pretty reasonable in terms of our proposal and getting the fair share of revenue,” she said. Swiatek stresses the need for open dialogue. “The most important thing honestly is to have proper communication and discussions with the governing bodies so we have some space to talk and maybe negotiate. Hopefully before Roland Garros there’s going to be opportunity to have these type of meetings and we’ll see how they go.”
Swiatek remains uncertain about a boycott. “Boycotting the tournament, it’s a bit extreme kind of situation,” she noted. “I don’t know. I guess we as players are here to play as individuals, and we’re competing against each other.” Still, she acknowledges unity among top women players: “I think we have pretty clear and similar vision.”
Sabalenka believes solidarity is strong. “Let’s see how far we can get. If it’s going to take players for boycott. I feel like nowadays, we girls can easily get together and go for this because some of the things I feel like it’s really unfair to the players,” she asserted. “I think at some point it’s going to get to this.”
