Wimbledon: Top players raise prize money but say ‘structural issues’ haven’t been resolved | Tennis News
The top players have welcomed Wimbledon’s record increase in prize money but insist “structural issues” have not been resolved.
The All England Club announced on Thursday that the prize pool for this year’s tournaments has been increased by £10.7m – or 20 per cent – to £64.2m.
Player representatives from the ATP and WTA Tours described this as “a real and important step forward”.
However, they say this represents 14.4 percent of the tournament’s projected revenue, which is still less than the 14.9 percent allocated to prize money in 2015.
They proposed raising the fee to 16 per cent (£71.2m) as a “reasonable interim measure” towards their calls for a 22 per cent increase, in line with top tourism events, by 2030.
Wimbledon organizers have argued that 22 percent is unrealistic given that, unlike tour events, they have a greater responsibility for investing in facilities and the wider game.
Alexander Zverev of Germany celebrates with the trophy after winning the men’s final match against Flavio Cobolli of Italy at the French Open.
A statement from the top players read: “Top players from the ATP and WTA Tours welcome the 2026 Wimbledon prize money announcement as a real and significant step forward – a 20 percent increase is the biggest single-year increase in the tournament’s history and a clear sign of intent.
“The players want to see Wimbledon continue to grow and support the tournament’s investment in the game.
“The question has never been whether those investments are significant, but whether the athletes who perform well and further the success of the event around the world should receive a fair share of their huge financial growth.”
“Our aim is not to diminish that success, it is to ensure that its continued growth benefits equally everyone who participates in it.
Jannik Sinner celebrates with the Wimbledon crowd after winning last year’s title
“At the same time, the players are clear that the announcement (of Thursday), although accepted as a matter of fact, has not resolved the structural problems that they raised last year. Progress on those problems has stopped.”
This follows a pre-tournament protest by some players at the French Open last month, where media activities were limited to 15 minutes each, after prize money was increased by 9.5 percent from 2025. That represented about 15 percent of the revenue earned at Roland Garros.
The players also asked the major tournaments to contribute directly to the players’ welfare fund that covers long-term health, pensions, and maternity protection. They want a “fair and transparent revenue sharing formula” and propose a players’ council to “give players a meaningful voice in decisions that affect them”.
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The statement added that the issues “remain unclear and without an official response”.
Speaking about the awards, AEC chairwoman Debbie Jevans said on Thursday: “We have always been clear that we are on the side of the players.
“Of course we want to have a great Wimbledon, but using the money to get the prize, it doesn’t make sense. We said that (players’ representative) Larry Scott.
“The income does not reflect the investment we have made, we do not work, we are very different from the Masters 1000 event and everything goes back to the sport.
“I’m frustrated that the message didn’t come through.”
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