Tennis champs to protest “low pay” with media duties limit ahead of French Open, a source said on Wednesday.
Players, who remain unnamed, will only talk to the press for 15 minutes on media day at Roland Garros before pulling out of interviews with Grand Slam tournament’s TV rights holders (according to a source)
During a row over prize money, Jannik Sinner earlier this month demanded that the Slam events show “respect” to players.
Players have strongly stated that they are presently only receiving 15 per cent of the revenue that is being generated by the Grand Slams, instead demanding 22 per cent.
Earlier this month women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka said players may need to boycott the sport’s four biggest tournaments to defend our rights at the Italian Open.
The players’ decision to abandon media duties “penalises all stakeholders of the tournament, from the media and broadcasters to the members of the federation staff and the entire tennis family that passionately follows each edition of Roland Garros,” said a statement released by the French tennis federation on Wednesday.
A meeting between organisers of the French Open and “some of the players’ representatives” is scheduled for Friday.