Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Emma Raducanu had a lot to say after Aryna Sabalenka suggested that top tennis players might boycott Grand Slam tournaments because of the ongoing prize money dispute.

Sabalenka, Swiatek, and Gauff were among several stars who called out the low prize money at the 2026 French Open. After that, Sabalenka, currently world No. 1, came out swinging in her pre-tournament press conference for the Italian Open. “I think at some point we will boycott Grand Slams,” she said. “Honestly, it feels like that’s the only way we’ll fight for our rights. Let’s see how far it goes; maybe it’ll take a boycott. I really think it’ll get to that, especially because things feel unfair for us players lately. Nowadays, women can easily come together for this.”

Coco Gauff backed her up. Talking to reporters in Rome, she said, “Honestly, I kind of agree. Look at the WNBA; they managed to get a union, and that helped a lot.” Gauff, ranked No. 4 in the world, pointed out how unions in other sports have been key to big progress. “We need to get unionised somehow. Media pressure helps, but we need all of us to be on the same page. I know a few other players agree.”

Gauff also admitted she’s never really been part of serious boycott talks. “Maybe other players have discussions about it, but I haven’t talked to anyone on tour. If everyone worked together, I could see it happening. It’s not just about me; it’s about the future of our sport and the players who don’t get the same benefits as the top names. We’re making money off court, but look at the players ranked 50 to 200. Grand Slams rake in cash, but outside the top 50, players are living pay cheque to pay cheque. In other sports, that wouldn’t even be an issue.”

Iga Swiatek, who’s won six Grand Slams, thinks a boycott would be “a bit extreme". She said, “The most important thing is actually talking with the governing bodies. We need space to negotiate, and hopefully, before Roland Garros, we’ll get the chance to have these kinds of meetings. Boycotting feels extreme to me. Players are here to compete as individuals, so I have no idea how a united boycott would work. For now, I haven’t heard anything solid.”

Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champ, isn’t interested in a boycott either. She told BBC Sport, “Grand Slams give you something money can’t. That’s what matters most to me. I wouldn’t join a boycott, but everyone has their own priorities.”

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka isn’t holding back; she’s openly considering a Grand Slam boycott if players keep feeling shortchanged on prize money.

She spoke out on Tuesday at the Italian Open, fresh off the heels of a letter sent by top ATP and WTA players who called the French Open’s prize pool disappointing. These players think their pay just doesn’t line up with tournament revenues, which keep going up.

“Look, without us, there’s no tournament, no show,” Sabalenka said. “At some point, I think we’ll have to boycott. It feels like that’s the only card left to play if we want to stand up for ourselves.”

She also thinks the women’s side of the game could unite like never before. “Right now, we girls could definitely come together for this; things are going on that just aren’t fair to the players. Sooner or later, I see it happening.”

Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina, current French and Australian Open champs, threw their weight behind Sabalenka. Gauff said she “100%” sees a boycott happening if the players agree. She pointed out that this isn’t just about stars like herself. “It’s about the future, and the players grinding outside the top 50 or 100. When you look at how much money Slams make, it’s crazy that players ranked 200 are still living paycheck to paycheck, which isn’t even a conversation in most other major sports.”

For context, the French Open’s 2026 prize pool will be $72.3 million, up $6.5 million from 2025. But that's still only about 15% of expected tournament revenue, down from 15.5% last year. Players want a 22% cut by 2030, which is what they get at joint ATP and WTA 1000 events like Indian Wells or the Italian Open.

There’s another twist: prize money for players who lose in the first three rounds at Roland-Garros went up 11%, but for the champs, it only went up 9.8%. The French Tennis Federation said it wanted to help early-round losers more.

Compare that to American pro leagues: NFL, NBA, and MLB players get close to half of league revenue. Even WNBA players will get 20% after their new CBA, up from 9.3%.

In their letter, the players said they’re “getting a shrinking piece of the value they help create.” They also called out Grand Slam tournaments for being slow to modernise or give players a stronger voice.

Twenty players, including Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Gauff, signed onto that letter. They’ve already sent similar requests to all four Slams before asking for bigger revenue shares, a Grand Slam Player Council, and better benefits like pensions and health coverage.

World No. 3 Iga Świątek isn’t quite ready to back a boycott: she said at the Italian Open that it sounded “a bit extreme.” She’d rather see real talks between players and tennis authorities and some space to negotiate.

ATP No. 6 Ben Shelton hadn’t heard much about a potential strike, but he wants more player voice and actual seats at the decision-making table.

These latest demands echo moves from the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), which Djokovic co-founded. The PTPA filed an antitrust lawsuit against the tours and all four Slams, seeking more revenue and other benefits. That case settled with Tennis Australia in late 2025.

So far, no one from the Grand Slam tournaments has responded to any of this.