The Chief Executive of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has welcomed the decision by players to end protests at Wimbledon after ‘effectively agreeing what they had agreed before.’
Sally Bolton had been facing the prospect of some of the tournament’s top names, such as Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, limiting their post-match media commitments to 15 minutes. Players are calling for Wimbledon and other Grand Slams to give them a greater share of their revenue.
The group, which is being represented by former WTA CEO Larry Scott, are asking for more prize money, as well as a bigger contribution to their welfare programs and a greater say in decision-making. This year’s tournament has a total prize money pool of £64,200,000, with the Singles Champions each receiving £3,600,000.
The planned weeklong protest was called off on Monday following talks over the weekend. Bolton has confirmed that following the latest talks, Wimbledon are waiting for financial information from the player’s representative as both parties look to reach a common ground.
“I think it’s great news that we and they can now just concentrate on the championships and on the tennis,” Bolton told reporters at Wimbledon on Monday.
“We’ve had some really fruitful conversations over the weekend. They’ve been really positive.
“We’ve effectively agreed what we had agreed before, which is that we want to continue in positive dialogue, but we’ve been requesting financial information from their representative for quite some time.
“He (Larry Sacott) is going to provide that, and once we’ve got that financial information and we’ve had the chance to have a look at it, we can re-engage with those discussions after the championships.”
Bolton, who is stepping down from her role as CEO of Wimbledon after the tournament, insists the tournament is committed to ‘player’s share in the success of the championships.’ In a statement issued to the Associated Press by the firm representing players, this year’s projected share of revenue for players is estimated to be 14.4%, which is 0.5% decrease from what it was a decade ago.
“We were surprised and disappointed that the players decided to take the action they did after we announced a 20% increase in prize money,” Bolton commented.
“We had engaged in productive conversations and had agreed to do so following the championship.
“My understanding is that they, like us, are committed to trying to find a way forward for the sport, and that goes beyond just prize money. We’re keen to get back to those positive discussions when we get to the other side of the championships, and once we’ve got that financial information, we’ll have the opportunity to think about what we can go back to them with.”
Talks were already underway before the now-cancelled protest was announced, with a meeting being recently held in Paris. There were also talks with players and agents leading up to the tournament, but such conversations usually take place every year concerning numerous topics.
Among other topics, Bolton confirmed that the breakdown in the hawk-eye system last week during Wimbledon qualifying was due to a power issue and was unrelated to the heat. An investigation into the exact cause is still ongoing.
How much money will players earn at Wimbledon? (Singles only)
| Round | Prize Money |
| Champion | £3,600,000 |
| Finalist | £1,800,000 |
| Semi-finalist | £900,000 |
| Quarter-finalist | £480,000 |
| R16 | £300,000 |
| R32 | £185,000 |
| R64 | £126,000 |
| R128 | £80,000 |
Qualifying Singles
| Round | Prize Money |
| R32 | £50,000 |
| R64 | £32,000 |
| R128 | £20,000 |
