Tim Henman, the former British No 1 and All England Club board member, has intervened in the ongoing dispute over grand slam prize money, holding talks with top players at the Italian Open in Rome. His efforts have paved the way for a formal meeting between Wimbledon officials and player agents at the French Open next week.
Wimbledon is expected to propose the creation of a new player council during the meeting, while reaffirming its commitment to increasing prize money. The 2024 Wimbledon prize fund will be announced on 11 June. However, player representatives have insisted they will not discuss the council until grand slam organisers address demands for a greater share of revenue and contributions to welfare initiatives like pension funds.
The dispute escalated after last year’s French Open, when players including Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff urged slams to increase prize money to 22% of revenue by 2030. Despite modest increases at Wimbledon, the US Open and Australian Open, the French Open’s 9.5% rise this year—which players claim equates to just 5.4% in real terms—prompted further tension.
In response, leading players have agreed to reduce media activities at the French Open as a coordinated protest. They will only participate in pre-tournament press conferences and conduct one interview with a host broadcaster, refusing one-on-one interviews with global TV rights holders. French Open tournament director Amélie Mauresmo expressed disappointment but said discussions had begun.
Wimbledon’s tournament director Jamie Baker and player relations director Laura Robson, both well-regarded by players, were also in Rome. The Australian Open remains absent from the Paris talks, having aligned with the Professional Tennis Players’ Association, which is suing the other three grand slam bodies in a separate dispute.
