French Open prize pool rises to $72.3M

The French Open has increased its 2026 prize pool to $72.3 million, a 9.5% rise from 2025, according to reporting published by The Athletic on May 20. The increase comes days before main-draw play begins at Roland-Garros and as players continue pressing the four Grand Slam tournaments for a larger share of event revenues. Tournament organizers have not publicly framed the increase as a response to those complaints, but the timing puts the issue at the center of the Paris event. Roland-Garros is scheduled to hold its main-draw ceremony on Thursday, May 21, before first-round singles matches begin on Sunday, May 24, according to the tournament’s official schedule. The French Tennis Federation had already used an April 16 pre-tournament presentation to outline broader changes for the 2026 edition, including player services, tributes and technology updates. ### How much money is at stake this year? The reported total for 2026 is $72.3 million, up 9.5% from last year, according to The Athletic’s May 20 report cited in pre-tournament coverage. That makes prize money one of the main off-court storylines of the event before the draw has even been made. (rolandgarros.com) The French Tennis Federation has not, in the material available on the official Roland-Garros site, published a full English-language prize-money breakdown alongside its schedule pages. The tournament’s April 16 presentation instead highlighted operational changes for players, including expanded recovery services, accommodation options and a pilot program allowing connected devices to collect biometric data. (rolandgarros.com) ### Why are players still complaining if the pool went up? Players have continued to press Grand Slam organizers over the share of revenues that goes to competitors, and that dispute has carried into Paris despite the increase. The Guardian reported on May 20 that players were planning a “work-to-rule” media protest at the French Open, with press conferences cut short after 15 minutes. (rolandgarros.com) The dispute is part of a broader push by players at the majors rather than a complaint limited to Roland-Garros alone. The increase in Paris prize money addresses one part of that debate, but it has not ended the pressure campaign ahead of the clay-court major. ### What else has Roland-Garros changed for 2026? (theguardian.com) Roland-Garros said on April 16 that players across 24 events and 899 scheduled matches will be allowed to use connected devices to collect biometric data during the tournament. The French Tennis Federation said the pilot would also be implemented at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. (theguardian.com) Amélie Mauresmo, the tournament director, said at that press conference that organizers were trying to improve conditions for players. “We want to provide the players with the best possible conditions and we listen to their requests,” Mauresmo said, according to the official tournament site. (rolandgarros.com) ### When is the draw, and when does the tournament start? Thursday, May 21, is the key pre-tournament date in Paris. Roland-Garros said its main-draw ceremony begins at 2 p.m. local time that day, during Opening Week at the site. Sunday, May 24, is when the main draw begins, according to the official schedule. (rolandgarros.com) The tournament runs through June 7, with qualifying already under way and Opening Week events continuing in Paris before the first round starts. (rolandgarros.com)