Novak Djokovic says he supports fellow players’ right to call for a boycott over prize money disputes at Grand Slams, but admitted he is “watching from the side”.
Aryna Sabalenka stated that players will refuse to play at a major “at some point” if they aren’t given a higher percentage of the revenue generated by the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open.
Coco Gauff said she could “100%” see herself boycotting a Grand Slam if there was enough support for it, while Jannik Sinner believes that players are not getting the respect they deserve.
Now, 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic said he supports players having a stronger position in the tennis ecosystem, but stopped short of calling for a boycott.
The Serbian did commend the leadership of Sabalenka, while stressing that he has been fighting for more player power since he co-founded the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) in 2021.
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He told reporters on Thursday evening, “I think you’ve been around the tour long enough to I think remember the times when I was a president of the [ATP] council, when I was also forming PTPA. So you guys know my position on that. I’ve said it many times. I don’t need to talk about that too long.
“Players know that they’ll always have my support, and that’s all. The new generations are coming up. I’m glad that there is willingness from the leaders of our sport, like Sabalenka, to really step up and really understand the dynamics of how the tennis politics works and understand the nuances and really what needs to be done not only for her benefit and well-being, but for everyone.
“That’s a true leadership for me and I think she needs to maintain that. I salute that. That’s all I have to say about that. We’re all part of the same sport. We all try to elevate the game, whether it’s players, tournaments, governing bodies.
“Unfortunately oftentimes there is a conflict of interest that some people don’t want to address. I think that’s where the players really have the power. I’m always supportive of the stronger player position in the ecosystem.”
Djokovic, however, did add that he would be watching on from the sidelines, rather than being a standard-bearer for this movement.
He added, “I am watching more from the side, to be honest. I haven’t been part of those meetings and conversations.
“But my position is very clear: I support the players and always will support stronger player position in the ecosystem, as I said.”
This comes off the back of the French Open increasing its fund by 9.5% from last year. However, when it comes to the revenue share for the tournament, players are set to receive under 15% of that. The prize money for Wimbledon is yet to be announced.
Incidentally in January, Djokovic did announce that he had “stepped away completely” from the PTPA, citing concerns about transparency and governance.
In March 2025, the association launched legal action against the ATP and WTA Tours over what it claimed were “anti-competitive practices and a blatant disregard for player welfare”.
The 38-year-old said his values no longer aligned with the direction of the PTPA.
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