The dispute between players and the four major Grand Slams is showing no signs of stopping after a new letter signed by a series of top names was issued, calling for improvements in three key areas, according to multiple sources.
The Associated Press and The Athletic have both confirmed the existence of this letter, which was sent earlier this year and co-signed by high-profile figures such as Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Iga Świątek, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. It was reportedly sent on July 30th, but there has been no public information about this until now. The timing of the letter was four months after another that was sent to the same governing bodies, in which it called for players to have a greater share of the revenue generated from the Grand Slams.
Larry Scott, who is the former CEO of the WTA, is lobbying on behalf of the players. Scott attended two meetings between players and officials that took place earlier this year at the French Open and Wimbledon. The argument is reportedly centered around three key issues that players want to be revamped.
The first is related to a welfare and benefit fund to help support players. Players argue that such a fund should be implemented along with the WTA and ATP Tours, who already make contributions every year.
Secondly, is the amount of prize money received, which has been a topic discussed many times and was the key focus of the first letter sent. Grand Slam’s argue that they increase the amount of compensation issued to players every year, with this year’s US Open champions receiving $5M. However, players believe they should be entitled to a greater share of the revenue generated. The Athletic reports that their request is to increase the share from 16% to 22% by 2030.
Finally, players want to see the formation of a player council where they will be able to have a greater say on issues or changes made. Such as the mixed doubles revamp at the US Open or the decision to extend major events to 15 days.
Discussions between the two parties have taken place behind closed doors and it is difficult to establish how much progress has been made on each of these matters. However, the Grand Slams have all outlined that they are committed to working with players via public statements, but none hasn’t gone as far as saying they will agree to all of their demands.
“As you are aware, we have always been willing to increase compensation for players — as evidenced by the 57% growth of the U.S. Open purse over the past five years — particularly when additional collaboration on the part of the players helps to create additional revenue,” the USTA’s interim co-CEO Brian Vahaly and chief executive Stacey Allaster* wrote in a letter to players dated August 18th, 2025. “For example, this year’s significant increase in compensation to $90 million reflects the addition of an extra day to the main draw singles competition and the resulting contribution made by players.”
*Allaster was the US Open tournment director at the time of the letter.
Meanwhile, the All England Club says they are open to dialogue with players in a statement sent to The Athletic.
“Our position continues to be that we are always open to having constructive discussions to achieve the best possible outcome for the future success of our sport and for the benefit of our players and fans. We have been in regular dialogue with the players and their representatives to hear their feedback and these conversations will continue.” The AELTC said.
These letters sent to the Grand Slams are separate from the ongoing legal dispute involving the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA). An organisation co-founded by Novak Djokovic that calls for players to have a greater say in the sport’s decision-making process. The PTPA has filed an antitrust lawsuit against the ATP and WTA in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Recently, they submitted a request to add Tennis Australia, the All England Lawn Tennis Club, the French Tennis Federation and the USTA as defendants. The organisation claims the move is ‘a necessary step to guarantee accountability from all parties and accelerate long-overdue reform across the entire professional tennis ecosystem.’
The WTA and ATP have jointly filed a motion to dismiss the PTPA’s case against them in May.
