Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic to lead French Open walkout protests
Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic to lead French Open walkout protests
Joshua Mbu Thu, May 21, 2026 at 11:01 AM UTC
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Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic and other top tennis stars will stage media walkout protests
Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic and other top tennis stars will stage media walkout protests (Image: Getty)
Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic, and top tennis stars will lead the charge with media walkout protests at the French Open amid a row over Grand Slam prize money and appropriate player benefits. Roland-Garros is already underway in Paris, with qualifying matches taking place on Thursday ahead of the main draw.
The French Open has already seen some heated drama, with more expected as the tournament kicks into a higher gear. Two Roland-Garros qualifiers almost came to blows following their match as the umpire was forced to rush down from his chair.
Now, another fight will take place - this time between tennis players and tournament organizers. The top 20 male and female players, including Djokovic, Gauff, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka, and others, are leading a protest against the French Open over prize money and appropriate player benefits. That's despite the French Open's 2026 prize pool increasing 9.5 percent from 2025 to $72.3 million.
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Players are said to have settled on a 15-minute media session as a symbolic nod to the Grand Slams' typical practice of allocating around 15 percent of revenue to prize money. Leading players have been advocating for that share to increase to 22 percent, aligning it more closely with the distribution seen at combined ATP and WTA events.
The French Tennis Federation released a statement ahead of planned walkouts. "We regret the players' decision, which impacts all of the tournament's stakeholders: the media, broadcasters, the FFT and the entire tennis community, all of whom follow each edition of Roland-Garros with great enthusiasm," said a French Tennis Federation (FFT) spokesperson.
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Djokovic is the all-time singles Grand Slam record holder in the Open era (Image: Getty)
"The FFT recognizes the importance of the players' contribution to the tournament's success, and wishes to maintain close ties with them. In early May, it proposed a meeting that will take place on Friday 22 May with some of their representatives.
"The FFT is ready to engage in direct and constructive dialogue on governance issues, with a view to giving players a greater say in decision-making, contributing to players' welfare and evolutions in the value-sharing model."
According to The Athletic, discussions are scheduled for this week and will include Gilles Moretton, president of the French Tennis Federation; Amelie Mauresmo, tournament director of the French Open; and Larry Scott, a former ATP player and former WTA chief executive now advising the players. Meetings with officials from Wimbledon and the US Open are expected in the near future.
Grand Slam boycotts
At this month's Italian Open, women's world No. 1 Sabalenka suggested tensions could escalate, saying players may "at some point" boycott one of the majors.
However, world No. 3 Iga Swiatek described that possibility as a "bit extreme," while reigning French Open champion Gauff indicated she would back collective action, stating she would support a strike "if everyone were to move as one and collaborate."
On the men's side, world No. 1 Sinner argued that players are still not receiving the level of respect they deserve regarding prize money at Grand Slam events.
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Source: “AOL Sports”
