Coco Gauff has offered a measured reaction to Wimbledon's decision to raise total prize money by 20 percent to $85 million. The move comes amid ongoing disputes between top players and Grand Slam tournaments over revenue shares. Gauff spoke ahead of the Berlin Open.
Gauff described the increase as progress while stressing that more work remains. “I think it’s still a long way. We are grateful for the progress that has been made,” she said. “But there is a lot more that we can do, not only at Wimbledon but at the other Grand Slams as well.”
The All England Club's raise leaves players with a 14.4 percent revenue share. Similar shortfalls exist at other majors. The French Open lifted its pool by 9.5 percent for a 15 percent share, while the Australian Open posted a 16 percent increase and a matching 16 percent share.
Top players including Gauff, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka staged a media boycott at the French Open to highlight their demands. Those demands include greater transparency, a player welfare fund and more input on how the events are run. ATP and WTA Tour events currently return about 22 percent of revenue to players.
Wimbledon will pay the singles champion $3.6 million and first-round losers $80,000. Sinner has already floated the idea of skipping mixed doubles at the US Open if broader issues are not addressed.
