Aryna Sabalenka prepared to boycott Grand Slams over prize money dispute

[p]"I feel like the show is on us. Without us there wouldn't be a tournament and there wouldn't be that entertainment," the four-time Grand Slam winner told a press conference at the Italian Open.[/p][p]"I feel like we definitely deserve to be paid (a higher) percentage.[/p][p][b]"I think at some point we will boycott. I feel like that's going to be the only way to fight for our rights.[/b][/p][p][b]"We girls can easily get together and go for this because some of the things I feel like it's really unfair to the players. I think at some point it's going to get to this."[/b][/p][p]Last year, almost all the leading players signed two letters to the four Grand Slam bosses demanding an increase in prize money, payments into a player welfare fund to improve retirement and maternity benefits, as well as involvement in decisions that affected them.[/p][p]The letters set a target of a 22% share in tournament revenue, which would bring the majors in line with the nine combined 1000-level events run by the ATP men's tour and the women's WTA tour.[/p][embed guid="c4d72b78-0d6e-4a2f-b6ef-d997321a283f" url="https://x.com/LaureusSport/status/2051574146631385486?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]However, Poland's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/swiatek-iga/jNyZsXZe/"]Iga Swiatek[/a], a four-time French Open singles champion, believes boycotting tournaments "is a bit extreme".[/p][p][b]"I think the most important thing, honestly, is to have proper communication and discussions with the governing bodies so we have some space to talk and maybe negotiate," [/b]said Swiatek, who has also won Wimbledon and the US Open.[/p][p][b]"Hopefully before Roland Garros there's going to be an opportunity to have these type of meetings and we'll see how they go."[/b][/p][p]On Monday, players said in a statement that an announcement by the French Open last month of a 9.5% prize money rise was not good enough.[/p][p]It said that last year Roland Garros generated 395 million euros (£341m), a 14% increase.[/p][p]However, the total purse went up by just 5.4%, reducing the player share of revenue to 14.3%.[/p][p]It is estimated that this year's revenues would pass 400 million euros (£345.5m), leaving the player cut still below 15%.[/p]