Tennis has always been an individualistic sport, with players having to fend for themselves while the four Grand Slam tournaments reaped millions in annual profit. But that era may be coming to an end. Just weeks ahead of the 2026 French Open, the sport’s biggest stars are on a protest. After Aryna Sabalenka’s explosive warning that players might need to boycott the Grand Slam to force structural change, Coco Gauff has joined in to clarify her stance.
Coco Gauff Demands Action From Grand Slams After Aryna Sabalenka’s Boycott Push
It all comes down to simple math. Grand Slams have been generating staggering revenue, but the athletes who actually put on the show receive only a tiny fraction, less than 15% of that wealth. The prize money has even decreasedfrom 15.5% in 2024 to 14.3% in 2025, and it’s projected to be 14.9% in 2026, despite increasing revenues.
That’s why Sabalenka spoke out. “I think at some point we will boycott it. I feel like that’s going to be the only way to kind of fight for our rights. I feel like the show is on us. I feel like without us there wouldn’t be a tournament and there wouldn’t be that entertainment,” she said, pointing out that the revenue growth isn’t proportional to the profits posted by the tournament.
Ahead of the Rome Masters, when the press asked Gauff about Sabalenka’s boycott idea, the American star fully agreed. She pointed directly to the recent collective bargaining success seen in women’s basketball as the perfect blueprint for tennis.
“Yeah, honestly I kind of agree with that, just taking what the WNBA kind of accomplished,” Gauff explained. “They also have a union… from the things I’ve seen with other sports, usually to make massive progress and things like this, it takes a union. Yeah, we have to become unionized in some way.”
For Gauff, this fight isn’t about padding her own bank account. Top-tier stars can make millions off the court in sponsorships, but what would the rest of the tour do?
“When you look at the 50 to 100, 50 to 200… it’s kind of unfortunate where the 200 best tennis players are living paycheck to paycheck, whereas other sports it’s not even a discussion,” Gauff pointed out. “It’s about the future of our sport and also the current players who aren’t getting as much benefits.”
The world No. 4 backed the boycott idea. “If everyone were to move as one and collaborate, yeah, I can 100% see that,” she said, before joking: “I wouldn’t want to just be the only one… Then I’m like the only one not playing.”
What Gauff added also makes sense. In an individual sport like tennis, a unified action like this has not yet been successful.
Meanwhile, Iga Świątek assured that all players are on the same page, but the possibility of a “boycott” hasn’t been discussed.
“We have good communication between us. Sometimes if it’s an important topic, we are ready to speak together,” she said. “But boycotting the tournament, it’s a bit extreme kind of situation. I don’t know. I guess we as players are here to play as individuals, and we’re competing against each other.”
MORE: ‘Stop Complaining’: Coco Gauff, Jannik Sinner Urged by Sam Querrey To ‘Boycott’ French Open Over Pay Dispute
Elena Rybakina also spoke on the same lines. “No, I’m not participating. No one came to me to talk about it, not from the WTA, not from the players council, not other players. It’s not on my mind at all,” Rybakina said. “If the majority say we are boycotting, we are not playing, then of course I’m up for it.”
Be that as it may, the players have a very clear target: they want a 22% revenue share. As the Italian Open has already begun, there are barely two weeks for the Roland Garros and Grand Slam officials to respond.