French Open prize pool rises 9.5% to $72.3 million

The 2026 French Open arrives with two parallel storylines: a bigger prize pool and renewed player pressure over how Grand Slam money is shared. Roland-Garros has set total prize money at €61.723 million, about $72.3 million, a 9.5% increase from 2025, according to tournament prize-money listings and multiple reports. (perfect-tennis.com) The increase does not appear to have eased player frustration. The Athletic reported on May 20 that players were planning a media protest during the tournament over Grand Slam prize-money distribution, citing sources familiar with the plans. (rolandgarros.com) The timing is tight. The French Open singles draw ceremony is set for Thursday, May 21, at 2 p.m. local time in Paris, with live coverage on official Roland-Garros platforms. (perfect-tennis.com) ### How much money is actually on the table? Roland-Garros has set the 2026 purse at €61.723 million, which converts to roughly $72.3 million in current reporting. The ATP Tour and other tennis outlets published the round-by-round breakdown this week. (sports.yahoo.com) The singles champions will each receive €2.8 million, while the runner-up gets €1.4 million and semifinalists €750,000. Quarterfinalists are listed at €470,000, and players who lose in the first round of the main draw are due €87,000. (rolandgarros.com) ### Where did the increase go? The published breakdown shows gains across the draw rather than only at the top. Tennis Majors reported that main-draw singles prize money rose 10.1% overall, with the first three rounds showing some of the largest year-on-year increases. (atptour.com) Qualifying players are also set for higher payouts. The ATP Tour’s 2026 table lists €48,000 for the final round of qualifying, €33,000 for the previous round and €24,000 for the opening qualifying round. (atptour.com) ### Why are players still unhappy if the purse went up? The Athletic reported that players’ concern is not simply the headline total but the share of Grand Slam revenue that goes to players. The report said players were preparing a coordinated media protest at Roland-Garros this week. (tennismajors.com) ABC reported earlier this month that top players including Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka had expressed “deep disappointment” over French Open prize money and said broader demands, including representation and welfare issues, had not been addressed. (atptour.com) ### How does the French Open compare with the other Slams? The comparison point players and observers keep returning to is the gap with other majors. Yahoo’s pickup of The Athletic report said the U.S. Open’s purse reached a record $85 million last year, while Wimbledon’s 2025 pool rose to $72.6 million. (sports.yahoo.com) That leaves Roland-Garros near Wimbledon in dollar terms, but still below the U.S. Open on the figures cited in current coverage. The French Open, like the other majors, maintains equal prize money for men’s and women’s singles champions. (abc.net.au) ### What happens next in Paris? Thursday’s next fixed moment is the draw. Roland-Garros said the men’s and women’s singles draws would be made at 2 p.m. local time on May 21, and the main draw is scheduled to run from May 24 to June 7. (sports.yahoo.com) The protest question now shifts from planning to execution. If players follow through on the media action reported by The Athletic, it would unfold during the tournament week at the same time that the sport’s second Grand Slam begins on the Paris clay. (sports.yahoo.com) (rolandgarros.com)