TOP TENNIS STARS FIGHT TO BE 'TREATED FAIRLY' WITH INCREASED PRIZE MONEY

Novak Djokovic fell short of winning his 100th ATP title in Miami. (Getty/Leonardo Fernandez)

The top-20 ATP and WTA players have submitted a formal letter to the four Grand Slams, seeking a larger revenue share.

Organisers of the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open all received a signed document stating dissatisfaction concerning the world's best players not benefiting from a larger piece of the pie.

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Debate has ignited for years around lower-ranked players struggling to earn a decent living with the discrepancy in prize money - part of the reason why Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil co-founded the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) to fight for a level playing field.

But despite the Australian Open prize money pool increasing by 12 per cent compared to 2024, top players argue they are the ones contributing significantly to revenue streams.

According to the AP, world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka has joined Coco Gauff, Iga Świątek, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Jasmine Paolini, Emma Navarro, Qinwen Zheng, Paula Badosa and Mirra Andreeva in approving the letter from the women's side, while Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Australia's Alex de Minaur are amongst the men's players who have put pen to paper.

In an interview for Ben Rothenberg's Bounces, world No.11 Navarro explained why she signed the letter.

"I talked a little bit to the other players about it and felt like it was a good idea to sign," she said.

"I think there have been some sort of unfair pay ratios - I don't know the correct terminology - in the past. And I think it's a good cause to come together as players and make sure we're getting treated fairly."

Two weeks ago when the PTPA filed a lawsuit against tennis governing bodies for "abusing" players' rights, PTPA Executive Director Ahmad Nassar supported the union's decision.

"Tennis is broken," he stated.

"Behind the glamorous veneer that the defendants promote, players are trapped in an unfair system that exploits their talent, suppresses their earnings and jeopardises their health and safety.

"We have exhausted all options for reform through dialogue, and the governing bodies have left us no choice but to seek accountability through the courts. Fixing these systemic failures isn't about disrupting tennis, it's about saving it for the generations of players and fans to come."

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