According to a report first revealed by L’Équipe, players at Roland-Garros are planning a coordinated media protest tied to the ongoing dispute over Grand Slam revenue sharing.
The protest could include players limiting their mandatory press conferences to roughly 15 minutes each — a symbolic gesture tied to the percentage of tournament revenues currently distributed to players as prize money.
It may not sound like much, but players typically spend up to an hour doing media obligations on media day at the majors. In addition to a traditional press conference, there are television interviews, radio interviews and social media hits orchestrated by the tournament.
Some believe that the players are referring to only their press conferences, which typically last less than 15 minutes.
But original reporting by L’Équipes Julien Reboullet hinted that 15 minutes is the cut-off for all media.
“This is why most of the top players planned to end their media appearances on Friday after exactly fifteen minutes. They intended to leave the Media Center immediately and refuse to give any further interviews to anyone. This symbolic action may not be the only one,” read Reboullet’s text, translated to English.
We’ll find out for sure on Friday.
The story was later detailed further by the Associated Press and multiple international outlets.
Players claim their share of Roland-Garros revenue has steadily declined in recent years, dropping from 15.5 percent in 2024 to a projected 14.9 percent in 2026. According to the players, the tournament generated roughly €395 million in revenue in 2025, while prize money increased by only 5.4 percent. Players are reportedly seeking a revenue share closer to 22 percent, similar to ATP and WTA 1000 events.
“With estimated revenues of over 400 million euros for this year’s tournament, prize money as a percentage of revenue will likely still be less than 15%, far short of the 22% that players have requested,” the players said, according to the AP.
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner recently said players “do not feel respected” during negotiations, while women’s No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka openly discussed the possibility of a future boycott if meaningful progress is not made.
Roland-Garros recently announced a 9.5 percent increase in total prize money for 2026, bringing the purse to €61.7 million, while qualifying prize money rose by nearly 13 percent.
“The FFT is ready for direct and constructive discussions on governance issues,” the French Tennis Federation said in a statement, adding that talks surrounding player protections, governance and revenue distribution are ongoing ahead of this year’s tournament in Paris.
“Beyond the prize money, a Grand Slam tournament like Roland Garros offers players exceptional exposure, generating indirect income through sponsorships, partnerships, exhibitions and appearance fees,” the FFT said, according to reporting by the AP. “This year the French Tennis Federation also chose to direct a significant portion of these increases toward players eliminated in the early rounds of the main draw and qualifying rounds, with increases of more than 11%, in order to better support those who depend most on tournament earnings to finance their season.”