Top tennis players are pushing for more money and more voice in Grand Slam tournaments again

A group of top-10 tennis players sent a second letter to the four Grand Slam tournaments asking for a bigger share of the money. They want their share to go from 16% to 22% by 2030, and they want their pension, health, and maternity benefits to go from zero to $12 million a year by that same year. They also want a new player council to have more say.

This letter, which was dated July 30, was signed by talents including Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Jack Draper. Novak Djokovic did not sign it, unlike the first letter written by players to the Slam events in March.

The Associated Press saw the second letter this week. It listed specific ways that the sport's four biggest and most successful tournaments might give the players more money and power.

The players are getting help from Larry Scott, who used to be the chairman and CEO of the WTA women's tennis tour and then oversaw the Pac-12 league in American collegiate sports.

Scott has met with the heads of the All England Club, which administers Wimbledon; the French Tennis Federation, which runs Roland-Garros; Tennis Australia, which runs the Australian Open; and the U.S. Tennis Association, which oversees the U.S. Open.

Everyone who got the letter on July 30 was asked to respond, and they all did.

The AP got a copy of the USTA's answer, which was dated August 18 and signed by Brian Vahaly, the group's temporary co-CEO, and Stacey Allaster, the USTA's chief executive of professional tennis who just finished her last U.S. Open as tournament director.

Vahaly and Allaster wrote, "As you know, we have always been willing to pay players more—like the 57% increase in the U.S. Open purse over the past five years—especially when players work together to make more money." "For example, the big raise to $90 million this year is because players added an extra day to the main draw singles competition and made a contribution."

This month, Sabalenka and Alcaraz, the U.S. Open singles champions, each got a record $5 million.

Vahaly and Allaster also wrote that they wanted to "reiterate our commitment to engaging in direct, honest, and transparent discussions with the players to build a stronger future for the entire tennis ecosystem — including a healthier calendar, better player consultation, and more money for everyone involved."

The players' letter to the four Slam hosts in March came not long after the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA), which Djokovic helped start, filed an antitrust action against the men's and women's professional circuits in federal court in New York. Djokovic was not one of the people who sued.

The antitrust brief asks for more money for players, arguing that not enough of the money goes to the athletes. It also lists a number of other issues about how the sport is managed. In May, the WTA and ATP tours both asked the court to throw out the case against them.

The PTPA said this week that the four Grand Slam tournament organizers were not originally named as defendants in the case, but they have now been added.

The PTPA said, "This is a necessary next step to make sure everyone is held accountable and speed up long-overdue reform across the whole tennis ecosystem."