Jack Draper joins players demanding more prize money from grand slams

Jack Draper, the British No 1, has joined 24 other leading tennis players calling for improved prize money and benefits from the four grand slams.

A letter sent in August called upon the slams to increase their remuneration for players to around 22 per cent of revenues by 2030, whereas at the moment the four tournaments only pay out between 12 and 15 per cent.

Thus far, though, there has been little acknowledgment from any of tennis’s governing bodies that anything needs to change and a sense of frustration is developing in the locker room. Sources suggest that players, particularly on the women’s side, are likely to become more militant and outspoken in the coming weeks.

This is a continuation of a pressure campaign which started in the spring. It should not be confused with the entirely separate lawsuit filed by the Professional Tennis Players Association in March.

Who are the players?

A first letter, signed by almost every top-10 player on both tours, was sent to the slams in early March, arguing that they should not only increase their prize-money pots, but also pay more attention to the player group when making decisions.

After meetings held at both the French Open and Wimbledon failed to deliver any progress, a second letter – now signed by 25 players, after some comings and goings in the two top 10s – was prepared and delivered in the build-up to the US Open.

One high-profile name was absent from the signatories, however. Novak Djokovic no longer wanted to be associated with the campaign, even though he had supported the first letter in the spring. It is also understood that Elena Rybakina was not on either list of names.

What do they want?

The most notable suggestion in the second letter was the identification of 2030 as a target for the players’ prize-money demands to be met. The figure of 22 per cent of revenues has been chosen because it matches the rough figure paid out by Masters 1000 events such as Miami and Madrid.

The slams are understood to have replied that they view reform of the calendar – and the possible introduction of a streamlined “Premium Tour” – as a priority before they commit to any significant changes.

While the recent US Open offered a substantial hike in prize money – a 20 per cent increase that carried the total pot above £67m – the players continue to argue that this is still an unacceptably small slice of the overall pie.

They are also suggesting that the slams should provide contributions to their pension programmes, which are presently funded only by the ATP and Women’s Tennis Association tours.

While the players are keen to place the slams under further pressure, there may be a limit to what they can achieve with words.

The most effective threat would be to boycott one of the four majors – but that is a difficult thing to organise when the slams are so far ahead of the rest of the tour, both in terms of prestige and prize money. In a brief career, how many players would be prepared to miss Wimbledon?