“Tennis is broken. Behind the glamorous veneer that the defendants promote, players are trapped in an unfair system that exploits their talent,” PTPA’s executive director Ahmad Nassar declared last month as the Novak Djokovic-led “Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA)” filed a groundbreaking lawsuit against the ATP, WTA, ITF, and ITIA over pay disparity. What began as a move that sent shockwaves through tennis, with the ATP and WTA quickly labeling the allegations as “regrettable and misguided,” has now taken a dramatic turn. 

French publication L’ÉQUIPE reported late on Wednesday that the top 20 male and female tennis players have jointly signed and sent a letter to the organizers of the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open, demanding a significant increase in prize money. With a combined audience of over 2 billion viewers and a record-breaking 3.36 million spectators attending live in 2024 GS, up 10% from the previous year, players argue that their slice of the pie has not kept pace with the sport’s booming success in recent times. The inspiration?

From leagues like the NBA, where athletes receive 50% of total revenue: a stark contrast to tennis. Take Roland-Garros, for example. In 2024, the French Open itself raked in an estimated $371.03 million, yet the overall prize pool stood at just $58.70 million: less than 16% of total revenue. Shocking, isn’t it? Well, under growing pressure, GS organizers have made incremental changes.

Prize money for the men’s and women’s singles champions saw a substantial rise of 54%, while semi-finalists earned 60% more. Even first-round winners benefited from a significant 40% increase compared to the previous year. This upward trend continued at Roland-Garros last year, with an additional 7.82% boost, bringing the singles winner’s prize to $2.63 million – nearly four times the amount awarded in 2000.

But for many players, these adjustments are mere breadcrumbs compared to the vast profits the tournaments accumulate over the courses of tournaments. The letter, now making waves in the tennis world, underscores a deeper issue: “the sport’s financial model remains outdated and unfair”. 

Even American ace Emma Navarro, who is currently participating in the Charleston Open, confirmed that she had signed the letter. “I talked a little bit to the other players about it and felt like it was a good idea to sign,” the world number 11 told reporters at the Charleston Open on Wednesday.

“I think there have been some sort of unfair pay ratios – I don’t know the correct terminology – but in the past. I think it’s a good cause to come together as players and make sure we’re getting treated fairly,” she added.

Meanwhile, 8th seed Zheng Qinwen echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that a better financial structure would benefit players across all levels, stating, “I think that’s going to benefit all the players, not only the top players, especially those that work hard during the year and need to get paid from the Grand Slams and have to survive,”

And, among the voices pushing for change, American sensation Coco Gauff has emerged as a powerful advocate for gender equality in earnings in recent times, stating her raw voice over the differences between WTA and ATP.

Coco Gauff echoed her voice against prize money inequalities

The PTPA, co-founded by Novak Djokovic in 2020, has officially taken legal action, filing a lawsuit in a New York court on March 18. The lawsuit accused the ATP, WTA, ITF, and ITIA of engaging in anti-competitive practices and prioritizing their interests over those of the professional players. It further alleged that these governing bodies operate as a “cartel”, controlling players’ pay and working conditions in a way that restricts financial fairness and autonomy. In the wake of this legal battle, WTA 3rd seed Coco Gauff has also stepped forward.

“If you want to compare it to other sports, then yes, but if you want to compare it to other things in life, I’m not going to sit here and complain. Obviously, for the women’s side of things making as many tournaments as we can equal to the men when it comes to prize money. There’s a whole other thing when it comes to visibility and things like that we can also improve on,” Coco added.  Aryna Sabalenka, the world No 1, echoed her rival’s thoughts.

“Something I would like to see is not only WTA players, but all of the players getting probably more percentage they’re making out of the tournaments, the Slams especially,” the Belarusian said. “I think that’s fair enough and if we look at other sports, I think the percentage goes completely differently. That’s the only wish I have.”

While this rumored letter will undoubtedly bring more clarity, or add fuel to the fire, the issue has already sent shockwaves through the world of tennis.