Novak Jjokovic, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff are one of 20 leading tennis players who have been sent to the head of four Grand Slam tournaments for more award money and have made great remarks about what they call “a direct impact decision.”
The letter was obtained by the Associated Press on Thursday, dated March 21, and begins with a request for a face-to-face meeting with representatives from Madrid and four people who spoke this month.
At the bottom of the message are handwritten signatures of 10 of the top 11 women in the rankings for March 3rd – Elena Rivakina’s name is missing – and the complete list of the top 10 men of the week.
The women are No. 1 Sabalenka, Gouf, Iga Swaitek, Jessica Pegra, Madison Keys, Jasmine Paolini, Emma Navarro, Zheng Qinwen, Paula Badosa and Mira Andreva. The man is the number one sinner and currently has a three-month doping ban – 24-time major champions, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alkaraz, Taylor Fritz, Casperudo, Danil Medvev, Andreil Brev, Stefanoszittipas and Alex Deminaur.
Of the 20 and 15, they either won at least one Grand Slam title or reached the major final.
The player outlines three areas:
– The Grand Slam Tournament should make a financial contribution to the Player Welfare Program funded by the two Pro Tours.
– Prize money should be increased to a more appropriate proportion of tournament revenue, reflecting its contribution to the value of the tournament.
-Athletes need to make more statements in decisions that “not only directly affect competition, but also affect the health and welfare of players.”
News of the letter, first mentioned by French sports newspaper L’Equipe, arrives about two weeks after the association of athletes co-founded by Djokovic submitted antitrust laws to the Women and Men’s Professional Tour, the International Tennis Federation and the Sports Alignment Agency in federal courts in New York. Djokovic was not listed as one of the plaintiffs. Because he wanted other players to step up.
The suit asks players for more money, and the revenue is too little to fall into the hands of athletes, bringing a series of other complaints about how the sport is run.
Last month’s anti-trust application included a reference to the report that “the US Open generated more revenue from the sale of one specialty cocktail ($12.8 million) than the male and female champions combined.
The American Tennis Association recorded a total of $75 million for the 2024 Grand Slam tournament, including prizes and payments to cover prizes and players’ expenses.
Based on the currency exchange figures at the time of the event, Wimbledon won an award of around $64 million last year, with both the French Open and Australia at around $58 million.
“USTA is consistently looking for ways to enhance the way we strengthen our events for the benefit of our players and fans, so USTA is always available and we welcome open and in-person conversations with players.
“USTA is extremely proud of the US Open’s leadership in player compensation throughout our history of growing professional tennis not only in the US but also worldwide,” he writes. “This includes offering equal prizes to men and women for over 50 years and awarding the largest wallet in tennis history at 2024 US Open.”
The next Grand Slam tournament will be at the French Open, with the main draw match starting in Paris on May 25th.