Former Roland Garros Head Calls Out Aryna Sabalenka & Jannik Sinner Over ‘Boycott’ Threats: “They Only Think of Themselves”

Ahead of her Italian Open opener, Aryna Sabalenka confronted one of tennis’ most contentious issues with the same intensity as her forehand. In a press conference, the world No. 1 addressed top players’ push for a larger share of Grand Slam revenue, even predicting a potential boycott. Yet, not everyone welcomed the threat, as former Roland-Garros director Guy Forget dismissed the idea with a nonchalant shrug.

Speaking in an interview with French website Tennis Actu, Guy Forget delivered some of his bluntest remarks when asked about players’ claims that they were fighting for lower-ranked athletes as well. “Listen. The tennis player, perhaps like the golfer, plays an individual sport,” Forget said.

“There is no one more selfish than a tennis player. They only think of themselves, only think of their own interests. And the people around you – agents, coaches, physical trainers, press officers – make their living thanks to you. They have every interest, at a given moment, in pushing you to earn more, more, more, more.”

Forget, who ran Roland-Garros from 2016 to 2021, emphasised that he could now speak freely on the subject because he no longer holds the role. He framed the prize-money debate as a consequence of a player’s entourage rather than a genuine collective movement.

“Today, the players are surrounded by people who sometimes push them into clumsy positions, and into a certain greed too at times,” he said, highlighting the external pressures influencing top players’ demands.

On the boycott option being raised by Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and others, Forget was unequivocal.

“If today some of them want to – and it would be, in my view, a bizarre idea – boycott the tournament, they’re free to do it. But I can tell you that people will keep buying tickets and coming to Roland-Garros,” he explained, underscoring the limited impact of a potential boycott.

The Frenchman also reflected on player earnings, sharing that he would be happy to play one round and collect €150,000 ($1,76,531) for losing in the second round.

“Roland-Garros is a celebration. It’s a mythical place, it’s a temple, the temple of clay-court tennis today. And I think three-quarters of the players, if not nine tenths, will be very happy to come, play one round and pick up €150,000 for losing in the second round. They are pretty well paid, I would say, for two days’ work,” he added.

Forget anchored his argument in the tournament’s finances, explaining that the French Federation (FFT), which runs Roland-Garros, invested €350 million ($41,18,80,000) of its own funds, still repaying loans.

“We’re not helped by the government, by the local authorities, in investing in our tool. So today, the federation has been managed that way, it takes initiative, it invests, and it is normal that it reaps the benefits,” he said, defending the current prize-money structure.

While sharing his own candid view without holding back, Forget, a former player and Davis Cup captain, commented on the prize-money hikes in recent years, showing how the debate has evolved alongside the tournament’s growth and financial realities.

Guy Forget supports Roland-Garros prize money increase without external pressure

The 13-15% revenue share that players receive from the Grand Slams has long been considered low. Roland-Garros’s recent prize money announcement, which ignored players’ concerns entirely, was a significant blow to many in the tennis world.

Despite the tournament’s claim that prize money has increased by 45% since 2019, once adjusted for inflation, the rise is only about 14%. However, Forget argued that prize money has climbed steadily without the need for collective action.

“Over the last ten years, the prize money has more than doubled. That’s extraordinary. The prize money goes up by almost 15% every year. How many jobs do you know today where the salaried workers see their pay rise by 15% every year?” he asked, highlighting the consistent increases players enjoy.

To put the figures in perspective, Forget pointed out that first-round losers at Roland-Garros now earn between €80,000 ($94,153) and €90,000 ($1,05,932).

“The most mediocre player is going to earn that amount today for losing 6-1, 6-1 in 45 minutes,” he said, underscoring how financially rewarding even early exits have become.

Forget also placed current players’ earnings in a historical context. “If Sabalenka has already earned, I believe, between four and five million dollars since the start of the season (4,020,272 per WTA data), it’s because before her, there were Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf – players who built the success of this tournament,” he explained.

He strongly rejected the argument that players are entitled to a percentage of tournament revenue, a central point for the Sinner, Sabalenka, and Zverev campaign during the clay season.

“To say today, ‘We feel we should have a percentage of the revenues’ – of a business that runs well but invests – would be like an actor saying: ‘Listen, I want this much.’ Well, here’s what we offer you. If you play, come and play your role. If you don’t want to come and play, someone else will take your place,” Forget said.

Finally, he offered advice to the current generation. “Tomorrow, there will be other Sabalenkas, other players who will earn twice what she earns today. And at that point, I hope they’ll be smart enough to say: ‘We are lucky,’ rather than: ‘We don’t earn enough.’ If I were 20 years old, in Sabalenka’s place today, I would say thank you to Björn Borg, thank you to Roger Federer, for letting me live so well from the profession of tennis player.”

Forget is the first former Slam tournament director to publicly challenge the framing of the prize-money debate. With Wimbledon’s prize-money announcement due in the coming weeks, the next test for these discussions is fast approaching.

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