Top French Open stars Sabalenka, Gauff and Sinner limit press duties amid tight schedule

Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Jannik Sinner cut their French Open media duties to 15 minutes on Friday as leading players escalated a dispute over how Grand Slam revenue is shared. Sabalenka, the women’s world number one, ended her news conference after about 12 minutes, according to reports from BBC Sport and other outlets. The action came during pre-tournament media day at Roland-Garros, two days before the clay-court major begins in Paris on Sunday. The protest is tied to a broader player push for a bigger share of Grand Slam income and other support measures. ### Why were players stopping at 15 minutes? The 15-minute limit was designed to make a point about prize-money distribution. Players involved in the protest say Grand Slam tournaments currently direct about 15% of revenue to prize money, and they want that share raised. The Associated Press and other reports said players have been preparing coordinated media restrictions at the French Open since at least May 20. Chosun Ilbo’s English report, citing the dispute, said players are seeking a 22% revenue share by 2030, along with expanded pension, medical and childbirth support. ### Who took part on Friday in Paris? Aryna Sabalenka was the most visible participant because she ended her session early. BBC Sport, cited in syndicated reports, said Coco Gauff and Jannik Sinner were among the leading players also limiting their appearances, and those reports said Iga Swiatek joined the work-to-rule approach as well. Sky Sports reported that about 20 top players were involved in the action. (nbcwashington.com) The reports described the move as coordinated rather than an isolated decision by one player, with participants sticking to the same 15-minute ceiling during the tournament’s preview day. (aol.com) ### What exactly is the dispute over Grand Slam money? Grand Slam prize money has risen over time, but players say their share of overall event revenue has fallen behind other parts of the sport. The Houston Chronicle and AP reports said players argue their slice is about 14.3% at the majors, compared with roughly 22% at other events. (skysports.com) Chosun’s report said the French Open’s total 2026 prize fund is 61.7 million euros. Players’ demands go beyond prize money alone, according to that report, and include a larger role in tournament decision-making as well as support tied to pensions, medical care and childbirth. ### Did the protest affect tournament operations? Roland-Garros proceeded with its scheduled build-up this week. (houstonchronicle.com) The official tournament site said the men’s and women’s singles draws were made at 2 p.m. local time on Thursday, and the completed brackets are now posted. The same site said first-round main-draw action begins on Sunday, May 24. (chosun.com) The official draw page shows Sinner as the men’s top seed, while the tournament homepage and schedule pages list the start of main-draw competition as the next key milestone. Roland-Garros has continued publishing player features, schedules and draw information during the dispute. ### What happens next once the tournament starts? Sunday, May 24, is the next fixed date in the story because that is when main-draw singles play begins in Paris. (rolandgarros.com) The official Roland-Garros schedule sets out first-round matches across opening week, and the posted draws determine the paths for Sabalenka, Gauff, Sinner and the rest of the field. (rolandgarros.com) Any further escalation would likely show up in post-match press conferences and player statements during the first week. For now, the concrete next step is on court: Roland-Garros opens Sunday at Porte d’Auteuil with the draws already in place. (rolandgarros.com 1) (rolandgarros.com 2)