BENGALURU — The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) said the dispute over French Open prize money highlights the need for structural reform in tennis, warning that without meaningful change, the sport will remain trapped in repeated conflicts over revenue distribution and incremental adjustments.

Top players have called for a larger share of revenues from organizers of the French Open, whose total prize fund of €61.7 million ($72.32 million) still trails the other Grand Slam events despite a 9.5% increase for 2026.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and several other leading players expressed “deep disappointment” in a statement to tournament organizers this week. They also raised the possibility of a boycott if the prize money gap is not narrowed to match levels seen at the Australian Open, the US Open, and Wimbledon.

“We commend and fully support the players for stepping up and fighting for what they deserve: a fair share of the revenues they help create,” the PTPA said in a statement to Reuters. “There are deep structural changes desperately needed in tennis.”

The Australian Open increased its prize pool to A$111.5 million ($80.61 million) in January, while the US Open distributed $90 million. Wimbledon offered £53.5 million ($72.55 million) in 2025.

Reuters has sought comment from French Open organizers, with the tournament set to begin on May 24.

Tournament officials previously said they have increased funding for qualifying rounds and early main-draw matches to better support lower-ranked players who rely heavily on prize money to finance their seasons.

Unlike ATP and WTA Tour events, Grand Slam tournaments operate under independent financial models, with each event determining its own prize distribution.

Sabalenka has argued that players are the central draw of major tournaments and deserve a larger share of revenue, supporting calls for a 22% distribution similar to what is seen in ATP and WTA 1000-level events.

“I feel like the show is on us,” the four-time Grand Slam champion said in Rome ahead of the Italian Open. “Without us, there wouldn’t be a tournament or entertainment. We definitely deserve to be paid more.”

Beyond the dispute at the top level, lower-ranked players continue to raise concerns about financial sustainability, citing high travel, coaching, and medical costs throughout an 11-month season.

Players have also said their proposals on welfare have gone unanswered and that there has been limited progress on gaining greater representation in Grand Slam decision-making.

The concerns echo issues raised in a class-action lawsuit filed last year by the PTPA, co-founded in 2020 by Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil, which aims to reform the governance structure of professional tennis.

“Tennis is falling behind other global sports on every meaningful metric because of its structure,” the PTPA said. “Until that is addressed directly and comprehensively, progress will remain incremental, and players will remain stuck in the same cycle, pushing for more prize money season after season.”

“That is exactly what the PTPA and the lawsuit against the Grand Slams and the ATP and WTA Tours are designed to change.”

$1 = 0.8532 euros; $1 = 0.7375 pounds; $1 = 1.3831 Australian dollars -Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in BengaluruEditing by Christian Radnedge/Reuters