Leading players at Wimbledon begin their latest protest of tournament prize money and will limit their media appearances on the eve of the Championships.
Wimbledon’s announcement of record prize money at this year’s tournament was initially welcomed by star names on the men’s and women’s tours as a “genuine and significant step forward” –but it has not stopped collective action.
Top players from the men’s and women’s tours, including defending champions Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, will limit their contractual media commitments to a symbolic 15 minutes, starting with the pre-tournament press conferences.
Wimbledon’s prize money now stands at an overall £64.2m, the players want their share of revenues at the grand slams to reach 22 per cent, and believe their share of this year’s revenues is set to stand at less than 15 per cent.
Elsewhere, Emma Raducanu is managing a niggle and emerged as an injury doubt ahead of the start of Wimbledon after the British No 1 was seen wearing a protective boot this week. Raducanu is due to speak to the media this weekend.
Follow the latest tennis news from Wimbledon, below
Player protests come after record prize money announcement
Earlier this month, the All England Club announced record prize money for this year’s tournament, confirming their biggest ever uplift in prize money and increasing the overall prize pool by 20 per cent. Wimbledon’s prize money now stands at an overall £64.2m; the breakdown of which sees the singles champions win a record £3.6m each and first-round losers receiving £80,000.
The players have been pushing for a greater share of revenues for well over a year, and want a revenue-sharing formula to be established and written into any future prize money announcements.
The players want their share of revenues at the grand slams to reach 22 per cent, the figure they receive at some events on the ATP and WTA Tours, by 2030, and had written to Wimbledon to propose a 16 per cent cut for this year. That would have seen their prize money increase further, to £71m.
Jamie Braidwood27 June 2026 08:05
Wimbledon prize money protest explained: What do tennis players want?
Leading players at Wimbledon will stage a week of protests as the row over prize money at the grand slam tournaments continues.
Top players from the men’s and women’s tours, including defending champions Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, will limit their contractual media commitments to a symbolic 15 minutes per match day during the first week of the tournament. This will include post-match press conferences and interviews with TV rights holders. The action will begin at across the pre-tournament press conferences on Saturday and Sunday.
Wimbledon prize money protest explained: What do tennis players want?
The top tennis players in the world are demanding a ‘fairer’ share of tournament revenues and will cut their media appearances during the first week of Wimbledon despite receiving record prize money this year Jamie Braidwood27 June 2026 08:00