Tennis Hall of Famer John McEnroe has suggested that top players might need to boycott one or more Grand Slam tournaments to secure a larger share of tournament revenues. McEnroe expressed this view in an interview with Tom Kershaw of the London TIMES.
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A group of elite tennis players, including ATP No. 1 Jannik Sinner and WTA No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, recently protested by limiting their media time during the French Open and Wimbledon. They called for a 22 percent share of Grand Slam revenue by 2030. In contrast, the U.S. Open offered players a record $108 million, which was projected to be about 16 percent of the tournament's total revenue, falling short of player expectations.
Following the U.S. Open, players publicly agreed to a truce after the Grand Slam events committed to creating a new player council to discuss prize money, player welfare, and scheduling. However, McEnroe believes more effort is necessary. He commented, "The players should be partners in the majors. The fact that they’re not causes friction, to me, that they’re getting such a small part of the revenue."
He also emphasized that boycotting some Slams might be essential to achieve these goals. Additionally, McEnroe highlighted ongoing issues surrounding players’ control over their schedules on the ATP and WTA Tours, where commitments can include multiple Masters tournaments. This year, the WTA Tour established a separate council to review these commitments.
McEnroe argued that the current system, which allows players to choose a limited number of tournaments, doesn’t optimally benefit them. He pointed out that complaints about the demands of the tennis calendar have persisted for decades, noting, "We’ve been talking about this forever — this isn’t something new."