Wimbledon increased its total prize money by a record 20% in 2026 to £64.2 million, a rise praised by players but seen as insufficient compared to their revenue share demands [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The prize money represents about 14.4% to 15% of tournament revenues, according to the All England Club, below the 16% players requested specifically for Wimbledon and well short of the 22% players want from all Grand Slam events [6, 7].

Players began pushing for a higher proportion of tournament revenue tied to prize money and improved welfare conditions, including pensions and maternity leave, in March 2025 [8, 6]. The campaign escalated with restricted media appearances at the May 2026 French Open, followed by limiting Wimbledon press conferences to just 15 minutes starting June 27, 2026, as a form of protest [1, 2, 4, 8, 7]. Jessica Pegula explained, "Limiting the media time... we usually spend 90 minutes, so I think we saw it work well" at the French Open [4].

Leading the protest were top players like Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner. Sabalenka said, "We do it for the tour, we don't do it for ourselves. We do it for the rest of the players who are suffering to even hire a coach. It's not an easy life for lower-ranked players" [1]. She also called the prize money increase "a great start" but noted that as a percentage of revenue, it has remained flat over the past decade [5].

The 2026 Wimbledon singles champion prize rose to £3.6 million from £3 million in 2025, while first-round losers will now earn £80,000, up from £66,000, reflecting sizable boosts though still behind player expectations [1, 3, 5, 9].

Wimbledon officials expressed surprise and disappointment over the protests and declined to accept a players’ proposed player council [1, 6, 5]. The All England Club also challenged players’ claims of receiving 22% of tournament revenue, requesting detailed financial disclosures [6].

After crisis talks over June 27-29, players agreed to end the protest and return to normal media duties starting June 29, 2026. Wimbledon CEO Sally Bolton said, "We've had some really fruitful conversations over the weekend, they've been really positive" [8, 7].

On June 30, the All England Club continued to question players’ financial claims amid ongoing disputes over prize money shares [6].