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Tennis
Explosive accusation: Serena Williamsâ former coach brands RolandâGarros prize money a scandal
TL;DR
Serena Williams' former coach has labeled the prize money distribution at Roland Garros a scandal. Players, including Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner, have voiced their concerns over a decrease in their percentage of the tournament revenue despite an overall increase in the prize fund for 2026.
Key points
- Serena Williams' former coach criticizes Roland Garros prize money.
- Players express dissatisfaction with current prize money distribution.
- Prize fund will rise, but players' revenue percentage will fall.
Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images
A dispute over prize money has become a major topic of conversation in tennis lately.
On Monday, several ATP and WTA players expressed their unhappiness with the prize money at this yearâs Roland Garros.
Aryna Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner and others put out a statement pointing out that while the total prize fund is set to rise for the 2026 French Open, the playersâ percentage of tournament revenue will actually fall from 15.5% to around 14.9%.
Sabalenka also suggested that players might consider boycotting Grand Slams if there arenât changes to how prize money is distributed at the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open.
Patrick Mouratoglou, who used to coach Serena Williams, spoke about how an increase in revenue share could help lower-ranked players earn more.
This isnât the first time Franceâs approach to tennis payments has been criticised. Novak Djokovic has also previously called out how things are handled in France compared to other countries like Australia or England.
Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images
Patrick Mouratoglou weighs in on the prize money row
In a post on Instagram, Mouratoglou said: âThis year, the winner of Roland Garros will win âŹ2.8m. The one who loses in the first round, âŹ87,000.
âItâs difficult to understand for the fans that players who make so much money want more. And I can get that. The real question is not how much money they make. The real question is how is the money distributed.
âWhat the players complain about is the fact that the governing bodies are not giving back a high percentage of the money they make.
âOn tour, you have the Grand Slams and the rest of the tour, ATP and WTA. Grand Slams give back to the players between 13 and 15 percent of what they make. ATP and WTA, around 22 percent.
âSo there is a big gap between what ATP, WTA give back and the Grand Slams. And what ATP and WTA are giving is way less than in other sports.
âThatâs why the players are not happy. The problem that I see also is that most of the money that the governing bodies are giving back is going to a very, very small proportion of players.
âItâs not normal that in a sport like tennis, a guy whoâs ranked 150 in the world cannot make a living. This is completely a scandal.â
Mouratoglou has previously highlighted his belief that itâs unfair for someone ranked around 150th in tennis to struggle financially, pointing out that it doesnât happen nearly as often in other sports at similar levels. Itâs an issue he feels tennis needs to address soon rather than later.
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Q&A
What did Serena Williams' former coach say about Roland Garros prize money?
He described the prize money distribution as a scandal, highlighting issues with how it is allocated.
Which players have expressed concerns about Roland Garros prize money?
Players like Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner have publicly voiced their dissatisfaction with the prize money distribution.
How will the prize money percentage change for Roland Garros 2026?
The total prize fund will increase, but the players' percentage of tournament revenue will decrease from 15.5% to approximately 14.9%.
