Sinner on Boycott: Most Important Thing is Respect and We Don’t Feel It
By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, May 7, 2026
Photo credit: Robert Prange/Getty
Jannik Sinner aims to complete the career Grand Slam at Roland Garros this month.
Today, Sinner said he can envision a potential player boycott of Grand Slams if their requests for greater Grand Slam revenue sharing is not met.
World No. 1 Sinner said the two sides “are not even close” to a resolution and suggests the threat of a boycott is the real leverage players possess. Sinner said he believes the Slam are not taking players seriously, pointing to the fact several Top 20 ATP and WTA players signed a letter requesting the majors meet their request. Sinner said today that letter has largely been ignored.
“I think the top 10 men, top 10 women, we wrote a letter. It’s not nice that after one year we are not even close to conclusion of what we would like to have,” Sinner told the media in Rome today. “Talking in other sports, if the top athletes, they send important letters, I truly believe that within 48 hours you have not only a response but you also have a meeting with this kind of thing.”
The Wimbledon winner’s comments come days after fellow No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka predicted players will stage a Grand Slam boycott if a compromise cannot be reached.
“I think at some point we will boycott it, yeah,” Sabalenka said. “I feel like that’s going to be the only way to kind of, like, fight for our rights.”
The 24-year-old Sinner, who is playing for his maiden Rome championship and to complete the set of winning all nine ATP Masters 1000 championships, said players feel disrespected by the Slams and disappointed by Roland Garros’ prize money. Sinner said the issue has been ongoing “for a very long time” which he believes makes the prospect of a boycott possible.
“Of course, we talk about money. The most important is respect, and we just don’t feel it,” Sinner said. “I think we players, we are a bit disappointed also of the outcome of Roland Garros, for example. So let’s see what’s coming.
“I think in the next couple of weeks we know also the prize money we’re going to have in Wimbledon. We truly hope that it’s going to be better. Then, of course, US Open. So I do understand players talking about boycott ’cause it’s somewhere we also need to start. Now it has been a very long time with this. Then we see in the future.”
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