Sabalenka cuts news conference short as French Open players protest over pay
Aryna Sabalenka, the world number one, cut short her news conference at the French Open in protest of the prize money offered to players. This action was part of a collective effort by several top players to highlight their demands for a larger share of tournament revenue. The players are advocating for a higher percentage of prize money and better support for player welfare.
- ▪Sabalenka limited her media time to 15 minutes to symbolize the 15% revenue share currently offered by the French Open.
- ▪Other leading players, including Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, also participated in the protest by limiting their media commitments.
- ▪The players are demanding a higher ratio of prize money-to-revenue and better player welfare provisions from the Grand Slam tournaments.
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Sabalenka cuts media short as French Open players protest Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Aryna Sabalenka has been a vocal figure in the dispute between the players and the four Grand Slam tournamentsByJonathan JurejkoBBC Sport tennis news reporter at Roland GarrosPublished22 May 2026, 15:30 BSTUpdated 2 minutes agoWorld number one Aryna Sabalenka cut short her French Open news conference as part of a 15-minute limit on media duties in protest at the prize money on offer.Players believe a greater share of the revenue generated by the Grand Slam tournaments should be allocated in prize money.The 15-minute limit is meant to symbolise the 15% of revenue the French Open currently offers.Several other leading players - including men's world number one Jannik Sinner and four-time…
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