Top Tennis Players End Grand Slam Campaign After Council Deal

(MENAFN) The world’s leading tennis players have ended an 18-month public campaign against the four Grand Slam tournaments after organizers agreed to establish a formal advisory council that will give competitors a direct role in negotiations and decisions affecting the sport.

The campaign was launched to push for a greater share of Grand Slam revenues to be allocated as prize money, stronger financial support for player welfare and pensions, and more direct involvement in decisions concerning competitors. The players had sought a formal mechanism through which their concerns could be raised and negotiated with tournament organizers on an ongoing basis.

“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,” the players’ representatives said in a statement.

The representatives also warned that the campaign could be revived if the newly established Grand Slam Player Advisory Council fails to deliver meaningful progress. They stressed that the end of the public campaign does not mark the conclusion of the players’ efforts to secure their remaining demands.

“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.

The Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open agreed in August to establish the council, providing a framework for players to participate more directly in discussions with the four major tournaments. The agreement became a key step toward easing a dispute that had intensified over the distribution of revenues and player representation.

Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka were among the leading players involved in the campaign, which began after a formal proposal was submitted to the Grand Slam tournaments in July 2025. Carlos Alcaraz later withdrew his backing for the campaign last month.

Tensions reached a higher point during this year’s French Open, when players reduced their media commitments as part of their protest. A similar action had been planned for Wimbledon but was ultimately called off after discussions with the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

The players said the campaign had already produced progress in each of its three main areas. The US Tennis Association pledged $2 million toward player welfare during this year’s US Open, while prize money was increased at all four Grand Slam tournaments.

According to the players’ statement, total prize money across the Grand Slams has reached $415.6 million since the proposal was formally submitted. The players estimate that more than $30 million of that amount represents additional increases beyond what would have been expected based on previous years.

Despite those gains, the players’ central financial objective remains unresolved. They have called for prize money to account for 22% of total Grand Slam revenues by 2030, compared with an estimated current share of around 15%.

The French Open is currently the only Grand Slam tournament to signal that it plans to introduce a revenue-sharing formula. The remaining tournaments have not committed to the same model, leaving one of the campaign’s most significant financial demands still under discussion.

The players described the progress achieved so far as evidence of the influence coordinated action can have in an individual sport. With the public campaign now ending, they said the new advisory council would provide a platform to build on those gains and continue pursuing issues that have yet to be fully resolved.

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