Tennis athletes announce reduction in interviews at Wimbledon to protest prize amounts

Behind the scenes on the tennis circuit gained intensity on the eve of Wimbledon. In a statement sent to the tournament organizers on Wednesday (24), players announced that press conferences in the first week will be limited to 15 minutes. The measure is a direct protest against the current division of revenue and the prize amounts allocated to athletes, in an event that will take place from June 29th to July 12th.

The 15-minute restriction on interviews is symbolic, representing the 15% of total revenue that Grand Slam tournaments traditionally allocate to competitors’ prize money. This percentage, often seen as insufficient by athletes, reflects a long-standing quest for a greater share of event profits. The deliberation was the result of extensive discussions between tennis players from the men’s (ATP) and women’s (WTA) circuits.

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On June 11, the Wimbledon organization had announced a 20% increase in the total prize pool for the 2026 edition. The tournament will distribute 64.2 million pounds sterling, the equivalent of approximately 445 million reais. In the previous season, the total distributed was 53.5 million pounds, around 367 million reais.

Although they recognize the increase as a “significant step”, tennis players continue to demand that Grand Slam prizes be directly proportional and linked to the general revenue generated by the events themselves.

Protest movement has already taken place at Roland Garros

The position adopted at Wimbledon is a continuation of protests previously observed at Roland Garros. During the Grand Slam in France, prominent players such as Aryna Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek had already cut their press commitments, shortening the traditional “Media Day” press conferences.

On that occasion, the Belarusian tennis player clarified that the demonstration was not aimed at journalists, but rather a demand for a “fairer division” of earnings.