Tennis elite pauses Grand Slam protest after achieving $30m prize money boost

Tennis elite tennis players, including Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, have decided to halt their public protest for increased prize money and greater influence at Grand Slam tournaments. This decision follows a recent agreement with the organizers of the four major events to create a Grand Slam Player Council and to substantially increase prize funds since the campaign's inception last year.

The players stated that they will now collaborate directly with the Grand Slams to establish the Council, through which they will be consulted and able to negotiate on an ongoing basis.

The campaign, involving the top 10 players in both the men's and women's rankings, such as Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Shelton, and Jack Draper, has seen the top players make several demands, including that prize money be pegged at 22 percent of tournament revenue, similar to other leading events. They also sought a welfare fund contribution from the majors and formal player consultation on any changes.

Alcaraz withdrew his support earlier, with Sabalenka warning of a potential boycott if demands were not met. The players mentioned that they may restart their public lobbying if the Grand Slam Player Council does not continue the positive developments. The group believes they have secured an additional $30 million in prize money due to their lobbying efforts.

However, they noted that the Slams have yet to commit to a revenue-pegged system, which they expect to be a key focus for the new Player Council. The US Open was the first to introduce a welfare contribution of $2 million this year, and the players anticipate this figure to rise among the other Grand Slam tournaments.