Leading men’s and women’s tennis players have announced they will limit their media commitments to 15 minutes per session during the entire first week of Wimbledon 2026, which begins June 29. The move continues their ongoing protest against the current share of tournament revenue paid out as prize money [1, 2, 3].
The 15-minute cap reflects the roughly 15% of Wimbledon’s revenue currently awarded as prize money, a figure players argue is too low. They have requested a prize fund of £70-71 million, equating to about 16% of revenue, while Wimbledon’s 2026 increase brought the total prize money to £64.2 million, a 20% rise and the largest in tournament history [4, 5, 6, 7, 3].
Wimbledon disputes the players’ revenue-share demand. Deborah Jevans, chair of the All England Club, said, “We don’t look at percentages, we don’t actually believe that is the right metric. It is one metric that is based purely on revenue and doesn’t take into account any costs and we cannot run a business in that way” [4]. She added, “Using revenue to determine prize money makes no sense... We are not-for-profit, and very different to a Masters 1000” [7].
Players emphasize their protest covers all competitors. Four-time Grand Slam winner Jannik Sinner said, “It’s not only for the top players; it’s for all of us players. It’s not nice that after one year we are not even close to conclusion of what we would like to have” [1]. Former Australian Open champion Madison Keys noted “many players” feel similarly and might boycott a major if ignored [1].
In addition to prize money, players demand creation of a player welfare fund and the establishment of a formal player council to increase athlete involvement in Grand Slam governance [1, 6, 2, 3].
Some players including Aryna Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner, and Iga Swiatek previously participated in media restrictions at the 2026 French Open in May. Novak Djokovic refrained from joining those actions [4, 5, 7, 3].
Wimbledon organizers expressed surprise and disappointment over the continued protests despite the unprecedented prize money boost and noted ongoing investments in player facilities and British tennis development. A club spokesperson said, “We are surprised and disappointed by this action ... Wimbledon puts the players at the heart of all our decisions and we invest significantly in them every year” [5, 7, 3].
The player group behind the protest is represented by former WTA chief Larry Scott. The dispute has lasted more than a year with no resolution to date [1, 6, 2, 3].
The Wimbledon 2026 Championships start June 29 and run through July 5. Players plan to maintain their limited media appearances throughout the first week, sustaining their public demonstration during the tournament’s opening days [4, 6].
