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Top Players End 18-Month Grand Slam Revolt After Winning Formal Council
(MENAFN) The world's elite tennis players have called off an 18-month public pressure campaign against the sport's four Grand Slam tournaments, after organizers agreed to create a formal council giving competitors a seat at the table in negotiations and decision-making.
The campaign had pushed for a bigger cut of tournament revenue as prize money, stronger financial backing for player welfare and pensions, and a direct voice in decisions that affect competitors. "Now that a formal council exists to carry this work forward, the public phase of the campaign led by the unified group of top players comes to a close," players' representatives said in a statement carried by media.
Still, the group left the door open to reviving the fight. "The players will now work directly with the Grand Slams to establish the council, through which players themselves will be directly consulted and able to negotiate on an ongoing basis," the statement said, with organizers warning the campaign could restart if the new body fails to deliver.
The breakthrough came in August, when the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open agreed to establish what's now called the Grand Slam Player Advisory Council — a concession that proved decisive in defusing the standoff.
The movement drew its highest-profile support from Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, and traces back to a formal proposal tournament organizers received in July 2025. Carlos Alcaraz notably stepped back from the effort last month. Tensions peaked at this year's French Open, where players scaled back media appearances in protest; a similar boycott planned for Wimbledon was called off after negotiations with the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
Players pointed to concrete progress on all three of the campaign's core demands. The US Tennis Association pledged $2 million toward player welfare during this year's US Open, and prize money climbed at all four majors. Combined Grand Slam prize money has grown to $415.6 million since the original proposal was submitted, the players' statement said — with players estimating more than $30 million of that growth exceeds what normal year-over-year increases would have produced.
The campaign's central financial goal, however, remains out of reach. Players are seeking prize money equal to 22% of Grand Slam revenue by 2030, but the figure currently sits around 15%. So far, only the French Open has signaled plans to adopt a revenue-sharing model.
Organizers of the campaign framed the results as proof of what unified action can accomplish in a sport built around individual competitors, saying they expect the new council to build on this momentum and keep pushing toward goals not yet achieved.
The campaign had pushed for a bigger cut of tournament revenue as prize money, stronger financial backing for player welfare and pensions, and a direct voice in decisions that affect competitors. "Now that a formal council exists to carry this work forward, the public phase of the campaign led by the unified group of top players comes to a close," players' representatives said in a statement carried by media.
Still, the group left the door open to reviving the fight. "The players will now work directly with the Grand Slams to establish the council, through which players themselves will be directly consulted and able to negotiate on an ongoing basis," the statement said, with organizers warning the campaign could restart if the new body fails to deliver.
The breakthrough came in August, when the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open agreed to establish what's now called the Grand Slam Player Advisory Council — a concession that proved decisive in defusing the standoff.
The movement drew its highest-profile support from Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, and traces back to a formal proposal tournament organizers received in July 2025. Carlos Alcaraz notably stepped back from the effort last month. Tensions peaked at this year's French Open, where players scaled back media appearances in protest; a similar boycott planned for Wimbledon was called off after negotiations with the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
Players pointed to concrete progress on all three of the campaign's core demands. The US Tennis Association pledged $2 million toward player welfare during this year's US Open, and prize money climbed at all four majors. Combined Grand Slam prize money has grown to $415.6 million since the original proposal was submitted, the players' statement said — with players estimating more than $30 million of that growth exceeds what normal year-over-year increases would have produced.
The campaign's central financial goal, however, remains out of reach. Players are seeking prize money equal to 22% of Grand Slam revenue by 2030, but the figure currently sits around 15%. So far, only the French Open has signaled plans to adopt a revenue-sharing model.
Organizers of the campaign framed the results as proof of what unified action can accomplish in a sport built around individual competitors, saying they expect the new council to build on this momentum and keep pushing toward goals not yet achieved.
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