Sabalenka and the Boycott Threat: Wimbledon Announces Prize Money on Thursday

Aryna Sabalenka had already raised the tour's most uncomfortable word back in Rome, on May 6: "Without us there would be no tournament, no show. I think we deserve to be paid with a higher percentage." And then the warning: "At some point, we will boycott it. I feel it will be the only way to fight for our rights." Those words come back into focus now, because on Thursday, June 11, the Wimbledon organizers will present the prize money for the 2026 edition at a press conference.

At the heart of it is a specific demand: the top players are asking that 22% of the Slams' revenue go into the players' prize money. The gap from the current reality is wide. At the 2026 Roland Garros, the athletes took home roughly 14.9% of estimated revenue, down from 15.5% in 2024. In 2025, Wimbledon had distributed 53.5 million pounds, about 72 million dollars, less than 13% of revenue. To reach even just 16%, the tournament would have to push the prize money to around 70 million pounds.

The pressure is not isolated. Alongside Sabalenka stand world number one Jannik Sinner, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Jasmine Paolini and Iga Swiatek, with Larry Scott involved in representing the players. It is a cross-cutting front, both men's and women's, that has rarely been seen so united on a financial issue.

The 139th edition of the Championships runs from June 29 to July 12. According to the rumors, the All England Club organizers are aiming to avoid protests with a record increase in prize money. Just how high it will be will only be known on Thursday. But it is clear that the figure announced will be read not as a mere number, but as a first response to those who, for the first time, have put on the table the prospect of not stepping onto the court.