The total prize fund at this year’s championships will be £64.2m, following the largest annual increase in the event’s history. The singles’ champions will each take home £3.6m with first-round losers paid £80,000. | Photo Credit: AP

Wimbledon organisers have said they are “surprised and disappointed” that leading players plan to continue their prize money protest at this year’s Championships.

Earlier this month, the All England Club announced a record 20% year-on-year increase in the total prize money to £64.2 million, short of the £70 million players had been seeking.

Players are demanding a bigger share of the revenue generated by the Grand Slams, arguing that it should be more in line with what they receive at ATP and WTA Tour events. At the French Open, several players protested by limiting their pre-tournament media commitments to 15 minutes.

“Wimbledon puts the players at the heart of all our decisions and we invest significantly in them every year,” the All England Club said in a statement on Wednesday.

“This is alongside investing hundreds of millions of pounds in upgrades to our player facilities as part of a three-year transformation to create a world-class player performance environment.”

Wimbledon’s record prize money fund amounts to around 15% of the tournament’s revenue, but a group of leading players, represented by former WTA chief executive Larry Scott, has called for a minimum share of 16%.

When announcing the prize money earlier this month, Wimbledon chair Debbie Jevans said she had discussed the issue with Scott during the French Open. She added that, unlike regular tour events, Wimbledon distributes 90% of its surplus back into British tennis.

“Using revenue to determine prize money makes no sense and we have said that to Larry Scott,” Jevans said. “Revenue does not take into account the investment that we give. We are not-for-profit, and very different to a Masters 1000.”

At Roland Garros, women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka cut short her pre-tournament press conference, while Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek were among those who also restricted their media sessions.

Players have even raised the possibility of a future boycott.

Saturday is the traditional pre-tournament media day at Wimbledon, and players are expected to limit their media availability to 15 minutes. According to reports, they also plan to cap post-match press conferences at 15 minutes throughout the opening week.

The 15-minute limit is intended to symbolise the 15% of Wimbledon’s revenue that is allocated to prize money.

Published on Jun 25, 2026