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The top players on the ATP and WTA Tour are far from happy with the current prize money split at the four Grand Slams.

Over the last year, the likes of Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka have questioned the amount players receive across the board at major tournaments.

They are not necessarily looking for more money for the winners, but more so for the players who exit at the first and second round stage.

Sinner said he wanted more ‘respect’ from Grand Slams, while Sabalenka flat-out suggested she was prepared not to play the biggest tournaments on the calendar.

“I think at some point we will boycott it. I feel like that’s going to be the only way to kind of fight for our rights,” said the World No. 1. “I feel like the show is on us. I feel like without us there wouldn’t be a tournament and there wouldn’t be that entertainment.”

Several players have backed the idea of a boycott, including Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff, but Jessica Pegula is not one of those top players.

Pegula, who was named chair of the new 13-member Tour Architecture Council earlier this year, has praised Sinner and Sabalenka for their words but doesn’t want to see a boycott.

“I’ve been part of the initiative to try and have better communication with the slams to get the prize money revenue higher, to get them involved in player welfare and pensions, all these different things. I think it was great that Jannik and Aryna were both very outspoken about it,” she said.

“I hope we don’t have to get to the point of a boycott. Obviously that is, like, an extreme measure. I think at the end of the day the point is that something kind of has to be done.

“I think to see them speak out was amazing ’cause we’ve definitely been pushing for it as far as myself and some other players to just kind of rally the top players around this because they’re the biggest voices that we have in the sport.

“I’m down to do whatever we need to do, as long as we’re all on the same page. I think it’s been awesome just to see the men and the women come together, the top players. We’ve never had that before.”

While talk of a boycott is ongoing, there is currently no plans for any of the top players to miss the next Grand Slam on the calendar at Roland Garros.

The Paris Grand Slam kicks off on May 25th, with the qualifying stage set to take place the week prior. At last year’s event, Carlos Alcaraz and Gauff lifted their respective trophies.

Alcaraz is out of this year’s event, but Gauff will be looking to defend her title. On the men’s side, Sinner will be the overwhelming favourite to win the title.

If he does so, the Italian will earn the Career Grand Slam, having collected every Grand Slam possible on the calendar.

The post Jessica Pegula gives her verdict on Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka’s boycott claims appeared first on Tennis365.

Alexander Zverev returned to winning ways at the Italian Open after his humiliating defeat to Jannik Sinner in the final of the Madrid Open.

Zverev was dispatched in straight sets in under an hour by Sinner in Madrid, but he has clearly already put that passed him as he looks to bounce back at the Italian Open.

The German defeated his compatriot Daniel Altmaier in straight sets to get his campaign back underway and confirm a third round match with Alexander Blockx.

Much like the Madrid Open, Zverev is the second seed at the Masters tournament and he has been placed in the opposite side of the draw to Sinner.

Zverev has had little answers to either Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz recently, but it is clear that the star is trying to combat the best two players in the world with a brand-new tactic.

Zverev believes he is on the same level as Alcaraz, although he has claimed he is some way from being able to challenge Sinner.

Five of Zverev’s eight losses in 2026 have come against Alcaraz or Sinner, with the Italian inflicting half of his losses so far this season.

The German showcased a slightly different style in his match against Altmaier, which helped him comfortably secure the victory in Rome.

Alexander Zverev’s losses in 2026

• Hubert Hurkacz – United Cup
• Carlos Alcaraz – Australian Open
• Miomir Kecmanovic – Acapulco
• Jannik Sinner – Indian Wells
• Jannik Sinner – Miami Open
• Jannik Sinner – Monte Carlo Masters
• Flavio Cobolli – Munich
• Jannik Sinner – Madrid Open

Zverev exhibited a new net game against Altmaier, which is clearly an attempt at providing a change-up in his style to compete with Alcaraz and Sinner.

The German went to the net 35 times against Altmaier, which resulted in Zverev winning an impressive 27 points across the two sets.

Zverev has often been criticised for his lack of offensive attack in matches, particulary when he is up against Alcaraz and Sinner in the latter stages of tournaments.

Perhaps offensive plays at the net could give Sinner something to think about if they meet once again in the final of a Masters tournament, this time in Rome.

Nevertheless, it is a very good sign for Zverev and his fans that the German has not appeared to give up after his drubbing at the hands of Sinner.

Zverev has often shown great character on the court and this is just another example of it. The star will continue to fight to earn that long-awaited first Grand Slam title.

If Zverev defeats Blockx in the third round, he will play the winner of Tommy Paul and Luciano Darderi in the fourth round. Zverev’s most likely quarter-final opponent looks to be Alexander Bublik.

Lorenzo Musetti could be his semi-final opponent, but Zverev will be confident he can beat everyone in his path until he likely faces Sinner in the Rome final.

Whether he has the answers for Sinner this time is anyone’s guess, but it is pleasing to see he is trying to find the solutions to take down the ATP Tour’s very best.

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Alexander Zverev has had his ‘ego’ called into question by former world No 9 Coco Vandeweghe after the German placed himself in the same bracket as Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.

The debate comes at a time when the men’s tour appears increasingly dominated by two names few names, with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz continuing to separate himself from the rest of the field through a remarkable run of form.

Zverev recently suffered a crushing 6-1, 6-2 defeat to Sinner in the final of the Madrid Open, with the Italian needing just 58 minutes to secure the title.

Despite the one-sided result, the world No 3 insisted that there are currently clear tiers at the top of men’s tennis.

“Well, I think there’s a big gap between [Jannik] Sinner and everybody else right now,’ said Zverev.

“It’s quite simple. I think there’s a big gap between Sinner and everybody else.

“And I think there’s a big gap between [Carlos] Alcaraz, myself, maybe Novak [Djokovic], and everybody else. I think there are two gaps right now.”

Zverev’s comments came after Sinner became the first man to win five consecutive Masters 1000 titles, including all four Masters events staged so far this season.

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However, Vandeweghe strongly disagreed with Zverev’s assessment and argued that the German has not yet earned the right to place himself alongside multiple Grand Slam champions.

“I think it’s a non-starter,” she said on the Big T Podcast.

“Sascha [Zverev] is not in the same conversation as Jannik [Sinner], Carlos [Alcaraz], or Novak [Djokovic], because of the one thing that he’s missing, a Grand Slam.

“He’s not a Grand Slam-winner, has been close, for sure, has been three in the world, two in the world, for a long time, but that elusive Grand Slam, that’s what changes the difference of who becomes a Hall Of Famer.

“Do you have that Grand Slam title?

“Because there are plenty of world number ones who never won a Grand Slam, [Marcelo] Rios being one of them that comes straight to mind, who won’t be a Hall Of Famer, because he doesn’t have that Grand Slam.

“So I think it’s not fair to the accomplishments of Novak, Carlos, and Jannik that Sascha would even think that he’s in that same category.

“I think that’s a completely separate category.”

Indeed, Zverev has reached three Grand Slam finals during his career but is still searching for his maiden major title.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz and Sinner have completely dominated the sport over the past two years, winning all nine Grand Slam titles contested in that period. The pair also sit more than 7,000 ranking points ahead of Zverev, who remains their closest challenger in the ATP rankings.

Despite the significant gap in achievements, Zverev has been remarkably consistent at Masters 1000 level and has not lost to anyone other than Sinner at those events since the Shanghai Masters last season.

At the Australian Open, however, he also missed a major opportunity after failing to serve out his semi-final clash against Alcaraz.

“Now, if we come to contenders, I think he is number three if everyone is healthy, Jannik, Carlos, Sascha,” Vandeweghe acknowledged.

“Only because we haven’t seen Novak, but you can never count out the great champion Novak Djokovic.

“Novak, out of respect, needs to be ahead of Sascha, but just because we haven’t seen anything, it means that you have got to put a little bit of a question mark.

“I think it’s unfair for Sascha to even think that he’s in that realm, and to your question of ‘Do you think he meant it that way?’, I absolutely think he meant it that way, I think he absolutely has the ego.

“I’m not saying you don’t need it; it’s a great illusion, otherwise, you’ve lost before you step out of the locker room.

“That’s the hardest part as a player, to believe that you belong.”

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Greg Rusedski has given his perspective on whether top players – such as Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka – could boycott future Grand Slams amid the growing debate over prize money.

Despite the Italian Open being fully underway, much of the attention in the tennis world has centred on off-court issues.

Sabalenka, Sinner, Coco Gauff, and Novak Djokovic are among a large group of leading players who have made it clear that the proposed 9.53% increase in prize money for the upcoming French Open is not enough.

The players argue that the increase is insufficient given the huge rise in revenue generated by the four Grand Slams through broadcasting, sponsorships, and ticket sales.

Sabalenka was firm in her belief that the sport’s biggest stars may eventually be forced to sit out the tournaments unless they are satisfied with the distribution of prize money.

“Without us there wouldn’t be a tournament and there wouldn’t be that entertainment,” she argued during her pre-tournament press conference in Rome.

“I feel like we deserve to be paid more, I think at some point we will boycott it. I feel like that’s going to be the only way to fight for our rights.”

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Rusedski, the former world No 4 and British No 1, weighed in on the debate and admitted that while he understands the players’ frustrations, he does not currently see a boycott taking place.

“I think Sinner also said, you know, we sent a letter in, we didn’t get a reply, but this has been going on for many, many years now,” said the Brit during an episode of the Off-Court with Greg podcast.

“Prize money for getting in the four majors now is nearly $400,000. That’s a 10-to-1 ratio from my last year on tour

“So, prize money has gone up. Yes, I understand wanting more of a split. But if you think about it logically, the only way this strike is going to work is if you get the top 100 men, top 100 women, they all come together on the deadline when they’re supposed to enter, and they all pull out.

“It can’t just be the top 10 or the top five or one player here, one player there. We had that in 1973, I believe, as well, when they had the boycott.

“And that was the year Roger Taylor got to the semifinals of Wimbledon as a Brit trying to win the championships. So we’ve had these situations before where we’ve had boycotts.

“But I don’t see it happening at the moment. Yes, they’d like to get more revenue. Yes, I understand their point of view. And I can really think, yeah, why not try to get as much as you can, because your career is so short.

“For the slams, part of the budget goes to the federations to develop players in their country. On top of that, if you look at the facilities at these major tournaments and at these master series, it’s out of this world.

“They’re always investing back in the structure, the fan experience as well. So I see both coins in the toss. I don’t see it happening, especially this year.”

The organisers of the French Open, which runs from May 24 to June 7, have increased the total prize fund to £53.39 million (€61.7m), a rise of £4.58 million from last year.

As Rusedski mentioned, the world’s top 20 players on both the ATP and WTA Tours signed a collective letter in April 2025 demanding fairer pay for all competitors at Grand Slam events.

The post Greg Rusedski makes bold Grand Slam boycott prediction amid explosive prize money dispute appeared first on Tennis365.

Aryna Sabalenka’s suggestions that the top players on the WTA and ATP Tours could boycott Grand Slams over prize money has sent the tennis world into meltdown.

“I think at some point we will boycott it. I feel like that’s going to be the only way to kind of fight for our rights,” said the World No. 1 ahead of her appearance at the Italian Open.

“I feel like the show is on us. I feel like without us there wouldn’t be a tournament and there wouldn’t be that entertainment,” Sabalenka continued.

It’s an opinion that has been mirrored by some of the top players in tennis, including Jannik Sinner and Coco Gauff while at the Rome Masters event.

It’s caused a mass debate in tennis, with Mark Petchey and CoCo Vandeweghe criticising Sinner and Sabalenka for their recent words.

The debate has now spiralled further and TalkSPORT’s Simon Jordan has unleashed a furious rant about Sabalenka’s Grand Slam threats.

Speaking on TalkSport, Simon Jordan was far from happy about Sabalenka’s threats to boycott Grand Slams unless prize money was improved.

Jordan believes the four Grand Slam events – the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open – have given the top star’s a platform to become rich and famous.

“If it wasn’t for the tennis tournament they’d have nowhere to play. If there was no Wimbledon, French Open, US Open, or Australian Open, there’d be nowhere to play so it’s a it’s a two-way transaction,” said Jordan on the radio.

“If we didn’t have a tournament that attracted the world’s media and the best players and, you being one of them, you’d have nowhere to play you imbecile. It’s aggravated me because it’s so onedimensional.”

The top players have long been unhappy with the way prize money is dished out at Grand Slams, and they have been in constant discussion with organisers for the last year.

Several of the top players have lined up alongside Sabalenka after her calls for an upcoming boycott.

“If we all collectively agree, then yes. I wouldn’t want to be the only one, but we definitely can move more as a collective,” said Gauff in an Italian Open press conference.

Likewise, World No. 2 Elena Rybakina said she was willing to step away from major competitions in order to help her fellow players.

“If the majority say we are boycotting, then of course I’m up for it,” she said. “It’s not an issue.” 

British No. 1, Emma Raducanu, meanwhile, would not be for a boycott.”It gives you something that money can’t and that is what is the most important to me, and what I value the most,” said Raducanu. “I wouldn’t be a part of [a boycott] but each to their own.”

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Iga Swiatek battled through a tricky opening-round test at the Italian Open to book her place in the third round, later admitting the ‘heavy’ conditions in Rome are making it difficult for players to close out points and matches quickly.

The Pole overcame American Caty McNally 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3 in a physical two-hour contest on Campo Centrale, surviving a significant second-set wobble before regaining control in the decider.

Swiatek appeared on course for a straightforward victory after dominating the opening set and twice moving within a game of the match in the second.

However, McNally continued to pressure the former world No 1 with aggressive returning, forcing errors at key moments.

Swiatek was unable to serve out the contest at both 5-4 and 6-5 in the second set, despite reaching 30-30 in both service games.

The five-time Grand Slam champion also missed a major opportunity earlier in the set when she failed to convert three double-break points at 3-1, with a string of unforced errors allowing McNally back into the contest.

The American, who was the only player to take a set off Swiatek during her Wimbledon title run last season, once again proved a difficult matchup.

“For sure, it was a tough match. Caty [McNally] really played great,” the Pole said during her post-match interview.

“She was fighting for every ball and played some amazing shots in defence.

“I had to really stay patient.

“Some mistakes happened, especially when she played a bit slower, sometimes with the wind it was hard to adjust to the ball.

“It was not an easy match, but I’m happy I was solid at the end and in the important moments, and I kept it together, and at the end of the match, I was dictating.”

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Swiatek will next face either American Emma Navarro or Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto as she attempts to rediscover momentum on one of her favourite surfaces.

The 23-year-old is a three-time champion in Rome, having lifted the trophy in 2021, 2022, and 2024, but arrives at this year’s tournament under more scrutiny than usual following an inconsistent opening few months of the season.

Swiatek has yet to reach a semi-final in 2026 and currently holds a modest 14-8 win-loss record, a sharp contrast to the dominant standards she established over the past several years on clay.

Her difficult start to the year also led to a major coaching change as, following a surprise opening-match defeat to Magda Linette at the Miami Open, Swiatek ended her long-term partnership with Tomasz Wiktorowski.

Shortly after, it was announced that she had brought in Francisco Roig, the former coach of Rafael Nadal, who spent nearly two decades working alongside the Spanish legend.

“The most important thing is to get used to the conditions and get used to what you cannot do on this court,” she added.

“I remember many tough matches here, especially at the beginning of the tournament.

“You need to stay patient and fight for every point, because the court is super slow, especially when it’s a bit colder than usual.

“The court is heavy so it’s hard to finish the rally.

“You need to really be solid.

“For sure, the conditions are tough, that’s why you can see so many long matches.”

 

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Jannik Sinner has been in unbeatable form since his Indian Wells victory and he shows no signs of letting up ahead of the Italian Open.

Sinner has won the last four Masters events and a victory in Rome would mean he has already won every Masters tournament available at the age of 24.

The Italian has shown no signs of letting up after playing every Masters event the European clay court swing has to offer, but Sinner has finally given an indication that he is set to slow down on the ATP Tour.

Sinner is not on the entry list for the Halle Open this year, so it appears he will be giving himself three weeks off between Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

It should not be a surprise, as Sinner has criticised the ATP Tour schedule before, but it could make his Wimbledon title defence that much more tricky.

While it will undoubtedly be a boost for his general fitness, it could be a major barrier for him defending his Wimbledon title at SW19.

Sinner won his first Wimbledon title last year, after defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the final, but he will have to win the event this year without playing on grass prior to the Grand Slam.

The grass court swing is notoriously short, and many of the top players often struggle to get to grips with grass in the month following the clay court swing.

Last year, Holger Rune, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Lorenzo Musetti, and Casper Ruud all suffered first round exits at the grass court Grand Slam.

Jannik Sinner’s record on grass

• 29 wins and 10 losses
• 74% win rate

Without playing a grass court event prior to Wimbledon, Sinner could also be in danger of struggling to get to grips with the tricky surface.

While Sinner will likely transition to the surface in quick fashion, such is his talent on a tennis court, it does seem like a major risk to take.

Perhaps the Italian is resting on his laurels following Alcaraz’s withdrawal, but the likes of Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev will be delighted with Sinner’s decision not to play a grass court event until Wimbledon.

In the past three years, Sinner has opted to play the Halle Open with a variety of results at the German ATP 500 tournament.

Sinner lost in the second round of the 2025 Halle Open, in a shocking defeat to eventual champion Alexander Bublik.

In 2024, Sinner defeated Hubert Hurkacz in the final to win the event. A year prior, Sinner retired in the quarter-finals with injury against Bublik.

Jannik Sinner’s grass court titles

• 2024 Halle Open
• 2025 Wimbledon

Halle is often the first grass court event on Sinner’s calendar, so it says plenty that he has only lifted the trophy once at the German event.

With Wimbledon playing the part of Halle for Sinner this year on his schedule, there could be major scope for an upset at the UK Grand Slam.

The post Jannik Sinner is about to take a massive risk that could really hurt his Wimbledon chances appeared first on Tennis365.

The total number of players to withdraw from the 2026 Italian Open has risen to 17, with Emma Raducanu one of the two latest seeded stars to join the list.

Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper and Marketa Voundrousova were among the big names to pull out before the draws were made on Monday.

WTA world No 15 Marta Kostyuk, who won the Madrid Open last week, withdrew on Tuesday due to a hip issue.

Raducanu pulled out citing a post-viral illness shortly after attending her press conference on Tuesday evening. The 2021 US Open champion, who is currently ranked 30th, has not played a match since Indian Wells in March.

On Wednesday, Arthur Rinderknech, the ATP world No 24, became the third highest-ranked man to withdraw.

Main draw WTA play at the Foro Italico got underway on Tuesday, while the men’s tournament began today. The women’s singles final will be played on Saturday 16 May before the men’s singles final on Sunday 17 May.

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ATP Italian Open withdrawal list

Nine of the 11 men to withdraw from Rome pulled out before the draw was made.

Both Rinderknech and Gabriel Diallo have been replaced by lucky losers (players who lost in qualifying) as they were already in the draw when they withdrew.

• Carlos Alcaraz (world No 2) – replaced by Sebastian Ofner
• Taylor Fritz (world No 7) – replaced by Zachary Svajda
• Arthur Rinderknech (world No 24) – replaced by Aleksandar Kovacevic
• Holger Rune (world No 40) – replaced by Damir Dzumhur
• Gabriel Diallo (world No 46) – replaced by Alexander Blockx
• Jack Draper (world No 50) – replaced by Hamad Medjedovic
• Raphael Collignon (world No 68) – replaced by Alexandre Muller
• Reilly Opelka (world No 74) – replaced by Aleksandar Vukic
• Arthur Cazaux (world No 73) – replaced by Mattia Bellucci
• Kamil Majchrzak (world No 76) – replaced by Roberto Bautista Agut
• Eliot Spizzirri (world No 92) – replaced by James Duckworth

WTA Italian Open withdrawal list

Kostyuk and Raducanu, who were both seeded, have had their places in the draw taken by lucky losers Ajla Tomljanovic and Lilli Tagger.

• Marta Kostyuk (world No 15) – replaced by Ajla Tomljanovic
• Emma Raducanu (world No 30) – replaced by Lilli Tagger
• Marketa Vondrousova (world No 44) – replaced by Solana Sierra
• Sonay Kartal (world No 56) – replaced by Zeynep Sonmez
• Varvara Gracheva (world No 61) – replaced by Eva Lys
• Veronika Kudermetova (world No 70) – replaced by Petra Marcinko

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Alex Eala is set to climb the WTA Rankings after she earned a battling three-set win in her opening match at the 2026 Italian Open.

In the first round at the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome, world No 42 Eala defeated 45th-ranked Magdalena Frech 6-0, 3-6, 6-4.

Eala is making her second appearance at the Italian Open, and this was her first victory at the prestigious clay-court event after she lost in the opening round on her debut in 2025.

The Filipina star dismantled Frech in the opening set, but her 28-year-old Polish opponent hit back by taking the second set to force a decider.

The 20-year-old was then broken in the first game of the third set, and she found herself trailing 1-3, but she won four of the next five games to turn it around.

Eala‘s win improved her record on clay in 2026 to 3-3, and it set up a second round meeting with 31st seed Wang Xinyu. The winner of that match could face No 2 seed Elena Rybakina in the third round.

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Having started the Italian Open ranked 42nd, Eala’s opening round win at the Foro Italico has earned her 35 points and increased her points total to 1,310.

This has helped Eala climb four places to world No 38 in the Live WTA Rankings.

Eala, who reached her career-high ranking of 29th in March, could climb as high as 35th if she progresses to the third round in Rome.

Ahead of her campaign in Rome, Eala said: “I haven’t played on many of the courts here, being that it’s only my second year.

“So I hope by the end of this tournament, I would have played on a couple more.”

Eala’s win against Frech was her first match since she lost to Elise Mertens in the second round at the Madrid Open last month.

The left-hander had been due to play the Catalonia Open, a WTA 125/Challenger event in La Bisbal d’Emporda which was held last week, but she pulled out on the opening day.

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World No 15 Karen Khachanov has given his verdict on Novak Djokovic’s chances of winning a 25th Grand Slam title.

Djokovic is poised to compete at the 2026 Italian Open, a clay-court Masters 1000 tournament held at the Foro Italico, which he has won six times.

The 38-year-old is seeded third in Rome, and he will begin his campaign against either Marton Fucsovics or Dino Prizmic. He is projected to meet 13th seed Khachanov in the fourth round.

The tennis legend has not played since he lost to Jack Draper in the last 16 in Indian Wells in March.

In an interview with Championat, Khachanov spoke about Djokovic’s limited playing schedule ahead of the Serb’s return to action.

“He’s already a legend. That is, basically, it seems to me, he’s already proven everything he could,” said the 29-year-old Russian.

“He wants to play, but it’s probably getting a little harder, too. I think he gets more tired and has a harder time recovering, which is why he sometimes takes longer breaks.

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“To be honest, I haven’t specifically tracked it, but he changes his schedule a little every year.

“I don’t know, now he’s playing here straight on clay, but before that he hadn’t played in Madrid. And before that he hadn’t played in Rome, but then he played in Geneva.

“In short, I don’t know. To be honest, it seems to me that it is based more on feelings, motivation and, probably, the physical component.

“So, in any case, of course, he’s on tour. He played in the Australian Open final. So he’s got the skill. It doesn’t even matter if it’s skill.

“I don’t think he’s there yet, I don’t know… Even if he’s 30th or 50th, I still think he should never be underestimated. Especially now, when he was playing in the final of his last Grand Slam.

“So it’s great that he’s not even exactly back, but just continuing to play. And here, this week, he’s in the tournament, preparing for Roland Garros.”

Djokovic, who won his record-extending 24th Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open, was a runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at the 2026 Australian Open.

Asked if Djokovic winning a 25th major is a “fantasy”, Khachanov said: “There’s no point in discussing that. But why is it a fantasy?

“Look, he played the final in Australia. Or, let’s say, last year he played in all four Grand Slam semi-finals and lost only to Sinner and Alcaraz. So, for him, it turns out, these two are his main rivals now.

“Essentially, if you look at the statistics, then, of course, anything is possible.

“Everyone is counting on him, and I still think that younger guys, not necessarily obliged, but should beat him. But he tells them otherwise.”

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