Tennis is going through a period of enormous economic growth. The four Grand Slams collectively generated around €1.8 billion in 2025, a record figure that represented an increase of nearly 9% compared with the previous year and could rise again in 2026. However, behind this multimillion-dollar business lies an increasingly visible debate: how much of the revenue generated by the major tournaments actually ends up in the hands of the players. In 2025, players received around €270 million in prize money, just 14.1% of total revenue.
The figure explains much of the growing discontent within the sport. Players believe that the increase in tournament revenues should be reflected more significantly in prize money and have set a specific target: reaching a 22% share of total revenue by 2030. The difference between the Grand Slams and the Masters 1000 is also fueling the debate, as the leading figures in tennis have begun to publicly voice their demands.
Australian Open, the Grand Slam that attracts the most spectators
The Australian Open is the first of the four major tournaments of the season and, although it is not the highest-grossing one, it offers the most favorable percentage of revenue distribution for players. In 2026, it generated 722 million Australian dollars, around €439.3 million, and allocated 111.5 million Australian dollars to prize money, equivalent to €68.1 million. That represents around 15.4% of its revenue. The champion received 4.2 million Australian dollars, around €2.6 million, twice the amount awarded for winning the tournament in 2010.
Broadcasting rights are one of the tournament’s main economic drivers. Tennis Australia agreed a 425 million Australian dollar deal with Nine Network for domestic broadcasting between 2025 and 2029, while international rights are held by Eurosport and ESPN. Added to this is an ability to attract spectators that no other Grand Slam can match: 1.3 million people attended Melbourne Park in 2026, surpassing the one million recorded in 2024. Sponsorship also plays an important role, with 35 commercial partners and Kia as the main sponsor, in a model that allows the tournament to maintain the highest prize money percentage among the four Grand Slams.
Roland Garros opens the debate over revenue distribution
The debate over revenue distribution gained particular momentum at Roland Garros after the leading figures on the circuit voiced their discontent during the Rome Masters 1000. Aryna Sabalenka raised the possibility of a boycott as a means of applying pressure, while Jannik Sinner said that players did not feel respected. The conflict ceased to be an isolated conversation between athletes and tournament organizers and became an open discussion about who should benefit from tennis’s economic growth.
The French Tennis Federation responded by proposing a revenue-sharing model linked to the tournament’s income, with a percentage close to 20%, although no final agreement was reached with the players. In 2026, Roland Garros awarded €61.7 million in prize money and was expected to generate more than €400 million in revenue, which would put prize money at around 15.4% of income. Meanwhile, the broadcasting business continues to grow: the tournament sold its U.S. rights to Warner Bros. for $650 million for the 2025-2034 period, 37% more than in the previous cycle.
Wimbledon defends its own economic model
Wimbledon entered the 2026 edition amid similar tensions. Players had threatened to reduce their media appearances, although they ultimately called off the boycott. From the All England Lawn & Croquet Club (AELTC), the response was to ask athletes for an economic report justifying their demands. The organization has opposed establishing a direct link between revenue and prize money, arguing that income does not necessarily reflect the tournament’s actual profits.
The figures help illustrate the scale of the dispute. Wimbledon generated £423 million in 2025, around €493.6 million, while it distributed £64.2 million, equivalent to €74.9 million, in prize money during 2026. Prize money increased by 20%, after representing just 12.6% of revenue in 2025. At the same time, its television rights and sponsorship deals are hugely valuable: the BBC pays £44 million annually through 2033, while ESPN pays $95 million per season through 2035, and commercial agreements generated around £124 million in 2025.
US Open, the tournament that distributes the most prize money
The US Open enters this debate with one particular distinction: it is the Grand Slam that awards the most money to players in absolute terms. Prize money increased from $75 million in 2024 to $90 million in 2025, a 20% rise. Champions received $5 million, compared with $3.4 million the previous year. However, that figure does not necessarily mean the tournament allocates the highest proportion of its revenue to players.
The USTA, which organizes the tournament, has not yet published its financial results for 2025. In 2024, the US Open generated $559 million, around €483.6 million, an 8% increase compared with the previous two editions. Against that revenue, the $75 million distributed in prize money represented approximately 13.4% of total income. New York thus becomes another key setting in a debate that combines the growth of broadcasting rights, sponsorship, ticket sales and the value generated by the players themselves.
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