French Open 2026 | Roland Garros to witness protest by players over prize money

The players are planning a protest at the upcoming French Open 2026 main draw, which starts May 27 with and runs until June 7. The protest comes in wake of players being dissatisfied with the increase in prize money and and the total share of revenue which is generally 15 per cent. Top 20 men's and women's players have already issued a letter against the 9.5 per cent increase in prize money for the year's second grand slam. Under the protest, the off-court media acitivities of the players are going to be at a minimum, which could hurt the organizers' revenue potential.

What is the protest planned by players at French Open 2026?

The players are planning to leave the media interviews after 15-minute mark in protest to a general prize money pool of 15 per cent of total revenue. This 'work-to-rule' strategy, as reported by the Guardian, will protect players from being fined as they would have fulfilled their contractual obligation of conducting a short flash interview with the broadcaster after the matches.

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What are players demading?

The players are demanding a 22 per cent share of total revenue as prize money pool along with a greater say in tournament schedule and enhanced welfare as well as pension provisions. The top 20 players, male and female, had written a letter describing their issues as soon as the prize money was announced.

How much is French Open 2026 prize money?

The French Open 2026 has increased the prize money for the upcoming edition to $72.37 million, which is 9.5% more than the last year's prize money. The men and women's singles winners will be getting $3.28 million each, but this hasn't made the players happy.

The increase in French Open 2026 prize money is significantly lower than US Open's 20 per cent increment for the 2025 edition.