Grand Slams Agree to Form Player Council Amid Prize-Money Dispute

Tennis’s four Grand Slam tournaments have agreed to establish a formal Player Advisory Council as they seek to address a long-running dispute over prize money and player representation, according to reporting by The Guardian. The agreement could be announced alongside the US Tennis Association’s update on prize money for the 2026 US Open.

Watch the highlights:

The proposed body would give players a formal channel into discussions involving the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. Important details have not yet been confirmed, including how player representatives would be chosen and how much influence the council would have over decision-making at the majors.

The dispute has continued for almost 18 months. Leading players, including Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, have pushed for a larger share of tournament revenue, contributions from the majors toward player welfare and more meaningful representation. The Guardian reported that the world’s top 10 men and women withdrew from some contracted media activity at the French Open in May after negotiations failed to produce a breakthrough. A planned repeat at Wimbledon was called off following late talks.

A central demand is for the majors to allocate 22% of revenue to prize money, matching the share used by the ATP and WTA tours. The Guardian calculated that Wimbledon’s £64.2 million prize fund represented about 14.4% of the tournament’s total revenue. Both tours already operate elected player councils with members serving fixed terms, providing one possible reference point for the new Grand Slam structure.

Attention now turns to the USTA, led by former Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley. The US Open begins on August 30 and offered a $90 million prize fund last year. Sources cited by The Guardian expect the 2026 total to exceed $100 million for the first time, but the USTA had not confirmed that figure in the report.

Players are still waiting for the council’s final structure before deciding how to respond. The possibility of another media boycott at Flushing Meadows remains open if they are dissatisfied with the prize-money announcement. Some players had also considered withdrawing from the US Open mixed doubles event, which takes place before the main tournament, adding pressure to negotiations as the season’s final major approaches.