French Open becomes first grand slam to offer players share of tournament revenue

The French Open has become the first Grand Slam tournament to offer players a share of event revenue, marking a notable shift in the long-running dispute over prize money in professional tennis.

According to a monitored public feed based on reporting from The Guardian Business, officials at Roland Garros made the proposal to players’ representative Larry Scott during talks held at Wimbledon two weeks ago. The move could increase pressure on the US Open, which is expected to announce this year’s prize fund at the start of next month.

An agreement has not yet been reached, but the willingness of the French Open to consider a profit-share model is being seen as an important development. Until now, the four Grand Slam events have not all followed the same approach to distributing tournament income, and Roland Garros’s offer sets it apart from the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.

The issue of prize money has long been a point of tension in tennis, with top players and their representatives frequently pushing for a larger share of the revenues generated by the sport’s biggest events. By signaling openness to a revenue-linked formula, the French Open has taken a step that could reshape future negotiations across the Grand Slam circuit.

The timing may prove especially significant given that the US Open is preparing its own prize announcement. Any decision in New York will now be judged against the precedent set by the French Open, adding fresh scrutiny to how major tournaments divide the financial gains they generate.

This report is based on a monitored public feed and attributed to The Guardian Business.

Source: The Guardian Business - https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jul/21/french-open-us-open-wimbledon-grand-slam-tournament-prize-money-tennis-players-dispute