Wimbledon Players Extend Prize-Money Protest Into First Week
Leading players plan to limit media duties at Wimbledon as their dispute with the Grand Slams over prize money and welfare drags on.
Daniel Fletcher
Writer ·
Wimbledon is heading into the 2026 Championships with a player-rights dispute still unresolved, as top players prepare to extend a protest over prize money into the tournament's opening week.
According to Guardian reporting, leading men's and women's players intend to continue restricting pre-tournament and post-match media duties, mirroring action that began around the French Open.
What the players want
The disagreement centres on the share of tournament revenues paid to players, contributions to welfare funds and calls for a formal Grand Slam player committee.
Wimbledon has announced a record prize-money pot of £64.2m, up 20%, but player representatives say the share still amounts to roughly 14.4% of revenue, below the 16% they are seeking.
Why it matters
The standoff places one of Britain's biggest sporting events at the heart of a wider debate about how tennis distributes its wealth and supports players beyond the sport's biggest names.
Referenced coverage: Our reporting and analysis draws on coverage first reported by The Guardian. The NE Times publishes original reporting and independent analysis written by our editorial team. We credit and link the outlets whose primary reporting informed this article.
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