Leading players have welcomed Wimbledon’s record increase in prize money but insisted significant “structural issues” remain unresolved.
The All England Club announced on Thursday that the prize pot for this year’s championships had been increased by £10.7m – or 20 per cent – to £64.2m.
Representatives for players from the ATP and WTA Tours have described this as “a genuine and significant step forward”.
However, they argue this represents 14.4 per cent of projected revenues for the championships, which is still below the 14.9 per cent figure allocated for prize money in 2015.
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The world’s top tennis players have been cutting short their media duties ahead of the French Open in a protest against prize money. The players taking part in the protest want Grand Slams to offer a greater share of the revenue for prize money.
They had proposed the amount be raised to 16 per cent (£71.2m) as “a meaningful interim step” towards their calls for it to be lifted to 22 per cent, in line with leading tour events, by 2030.
Wimbledon organisers have countered that 22 per cent is unrealistic given that, unlike tour events, they have greater responsibilities to invest in facilities and the wider game.
Alexander Zverev of Germany celebrates with the trophy after winning the men’s final match against Flavio Cobolli of Italy at the French Open
A statement on behalf of leading players read: “Leading players from the ATP and WTA Tours welcome Wimbledon’s 2026 prize money announcement as a genuine and significant step forward – the 20 per cent increase is the largest single-year uplift in the tournament’s history and a meaningful signal of intent.
“Players want to see Wimbledon continue to thrive and support the investment the tournament makes in the game.
“The question has never been whether those investments are valuable, but whether the athletes whose performances drive the event’s global success should receive a fair share of its tremendous financial growth.
“Our goal is not to diminish that success, it is to ensure that its continued growth benefits equitably everyone who contributes to it.
Jannik Sinner celebrates with the Wimbledon crowd after winning last year’s title
“At the same time, players are clear that (Thursday’s) announcement, while genuinely welcomed, does not yet resolve the structural issues they have been raising with the grand slams for the past year. Progress on those issues remains outstanding.”
This follows a pre-tournament protest by some players at the French Open last month, where media activities were limited to 15 minutes each, after prize money was increased by 9.5 per cent from 2025. That represented around 15 per cent of the revenue generated at Roland Garros.
The players have also called on the grand slam tournaments to contribute directly to a player welfare fund covering long-term health, pension, and maternity protections. They want a “fair and transparent revenue-sharing formula” and have proposed a player council to “give players a meaningful voice in decisions that affect them”.
Aryna Sabalenka is one of the leading players protesting the rules
The statement added these matters “remain outstanding and without a formal reply”.
Speaking on the issue of prize money, AEC chair Debbie Jevans said on Thursday: “We have always been clear that we’re on the side of the players.
“Certainly we want to have a fantastic Wimbledon for them, but using revenue to determine prize money, it just makes no sense. We have said that to (players’ representative) Larry Scott.
“Revenue does not take into account the investment we have made. We are non-profit, we are very different to a Masters 1000 event and everything goes back into the sport.
“I am frustrated that message has not got across.”
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