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Aryna Sabalenka drew major attention at Roland Garros after wearing more than $102,000 worth of jewelry while defending players seeking a larger share of French Open revenue.

Aryna Sabalenka is refusing to back down after drawing attention for wearing more than $102,000 worth of jewelry at the French Open while simultaneously pushing for a dramatically larger share of tournament revenue.

The world No. 1 faced immediate scrutiny after her luxury courtside look collided with a growing player-pay dispute at Roland Garros, creating one of the tournament’s most talked-about off-court controversies.

Aryna Sabalenka’s $102,000 French Open Jewelry

The pieces came from New York-based fine jewelry label Material Good, whose designs Sabalenka wore at the Australian Open in January and plans to sport at every remaining Grand Slam in 2026. For Roland Garros, the brand built a two-necklace set centered on deep red garnets in a deliberate callback to the iconic clay surface at Stade Roland Garros.

The top strand, featuring 4.75 carats of diamonds and 49.16 carats of garnets, is valued at $36,500. The middle piece adds 9.18 carats of diamonds and 72.96 carats of garnets at $53,000. Matching 18-carat white gold earrings brought the on-court total to approximately $102,000, according to an evaluation by Daily Mail Sport reporter James Sharpe.

A third necklace — 8.58 carats of diamonds and 81.64 carats of garnets, worth an additional $46,000 — was available but stayed in the bag.

“It’s supposed to be the third necklace, but I was like, ‘OK, it’s kind of like too much probably,’ so I decided to keep it just two,” Sabalenka said, as quoted by Prem Mehta of Essentially Sports. The complete three-piece set with earrings is valued at approximately $148,000.

“I don’t really feel the heaviness of it,” she added. “For me, it’s important to look good. If I feel good looking-wise, I perform better, and I feel great.”

Sabalenka Addresses Roland Garros Prize Money Backlash

Sabalenka defeated Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 6-2 at the French Open Tuesday, to extend her Grand Slam first-round win streak to 22. She then faced questions about the contrast between her wardrobe and her advocacy for lower-ranked players. The jewelry Sabalenka wore on-court was worth more than the prize money Bouzas Maneiro, ranked 50th in the world, took home for her first-round exit.

“I don’t really see how it can be possible to cross these two completely different worlds,” she responded, as quoted by The Mail. “The prize money, it’s not about me at all. It’s just fighting for players, lower-ranked players who are really struggling to survive in this tennis world. Everyone knows that I’m okay. It’s not about me.”

The current French Open prize pool totals approximately $71.3 million, with each singles champion pocketing roughly $3.2 million. Players are seeking 22 percent of total revenue, in line with what they earn at standard ATP and WTA events. The French Tennis Federation is reportedly reviewing a counteroffer.

Sabalenka collected approximately $14.8 million in prize money in 2025. That was the highest single-season total in women’s tennis history, surpassing Serena Williams’ record of roughly $12.4 million from 2013.

“As the world No. 1, I have to stand up and fight for lower-level players,” Sabalenka continued. “It’s not about me, it’s about the players lower in the rankings who are suffering.”

Wimbledon has cleared her to wear the Material Good pieces at the All England Club in June. Sabalenka’s next match comes against French wildcard Elsa Jacquemot in the second round Thursday at Roland Garros.