Top Tennis Players Pause Public Battle With Grand Slams

There will be no major public tennis protests—at least not in the near future.

In a statement Monday, top tennis players announced they have decided to end the “public phase” of their battle against Grand Slam organizers for increased share of revenue, welfare benefits, and agency in decision-making.

“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,” a statement by the players read. The group included many of the tournament’s top stars, including Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, and Jannik Sinner, who conducted a coordinated media protest at Roland-Garros in May.

Last month, ahead of the US Open, the four Grand Slams announced a new Grand Slam Player Advisory Council. The council will consist of players who will communicate directly with the organizers of the major tournaments.

“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 players’ statement said.

At the US Open, which concluded Sunday, the players appeared to be pleased with the steps the Grand Slam tournaments were taking.

“Hopefully we’re not going to boycott media or tournament or anything in the future,” Sabalenka said late last month ahead of the US Open main draw.

But the players didn’t completely shut the door on possible public protests.

“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’ statement said. “Players reserve the right to re-start the campaign should the council fail to deliver on these aims.”

It’s still unclear which players will be a part of the advisory council, though Pegula, a member of the WTA Players’ Council, and US Open finalist Ben Shelton were quoted in an Aug. 20 press release. A week later, Pegula told FOS last week that she’s heard “some top players and other players who are very interested.”

New USTA CEO Craig Tiley also said ahead of the US Open main draw that he’s heard from about 10 players who have expressed interest in joining the council. Pegula praised the USTA for leading the charge in listening to the players.

“There is still of course more work to do and there’s going to be a lot of things that come up, but I am definitely appreciative of, especially the US Open, to kind of step forward with making those announcements and wanting to do that,” Pegula said in her press conference last month ahead of the tournament. 

When the top players sent letters to the Grand Slam organizers last year, a key portion of their request was an increased share of revenue. Most Grand Slams awarded about 15% of revenue to players, though they are seeking 22% share by 2030.

It’s unclear what percentage of the 2026 US Open’s revenue will go toward the record $108 million in player compensation. That figure represents 19.3% of the tournament’s $559.7 million in operating revenue in 2024, the latest publicly available data.

“Since the players’ formal proposal was submitted on 31 July 2025, prize money across these grand slam tournaments has grown to $415.6m in total, with players estimating that more than $30m of that reflects incremental gains above the rate of growth the years before the campaign began,” the players’ statement read.

This stands as a testament to the gains made possible by concerted, unified player action in an individual sport and by constructive dialogue with the grand slams and tournament organisers. The players look to the council to build on this progress and continue pursuing the aims not yet fully achieved.”