John McEnroe has called on prominent tennis players to consider boycotting Grand Slam tournaments, suggesting that they should be treated as partners in the major events. In March 2025, a coalition of top ATP and WTA players, including Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff, initiated a campaign to secure a larger share of the revenues generated by the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
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The group criticized the prize money for the 2026 French Open and enacted a media boycott by limiting the press conference duration at Roland Garros. During a May press conference at the Italian Open, Sabalenka voiced her belief that a boycott of Grand Slam events might be necessary due to the ongoing prize money dispute. She stated, “I think at some point we will boycott it (Grand Slams), yeah. I feel like that’s going to be the only way to fight for our rights. Let’s see how far we can get… if it’s going to take players for boycott.”
After the 2026 US Open, the player coalition announced the end of the public phase of their campaign upon the establishment of a Grand Slam player council. They indicated that while the public campaign had concluded, players could revive their efforts if the council did not meet their expectations.
At the 2026 Laver Cup in London, McEnroe reiterated the importance of decisive action for players seeking better compensation. He emphasized that they should have a partnership role in the majors and criticized their current revenue share as insufficient, stating, “The fact that they’re not causes friction — they’re getting such a small part of the revenue. The only way to succeed in doing that, in my opinion, is to boycott one or two of these.”