World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka Threatens WTA Boycott Over Prize Money Dispute

The world's top tennis player Aryna Sabalenka has threatened to boycott WTA tournaments, NU.nl publication reports. 

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Keith Allison, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Aryna Sabalenka

The Belarusian athlete explained her stance by pointing to insufficient prize money for players. Alongside her, dissatisfaction with payouts at the upcoming French Open (Roland Garros) has also been voiced by Italy's Jannik Sinner and American Coco Gauff.

"When you see the numbers and the share players receive, you understand that without us there would be no tournament and no spectacle. I deserve a bigger share of the prize money. We can announce a boycott, because that is the only way to defend our rights,” Sabalenka said.

The debate over prize money distribution has intensified as top players demand a larger share of tournament revenues. The issue has gained momentum ahead of Roland Garros, one of the sport's most prestigious events.

Jannik Sinner and Coco Gauff have also expressed dissatisfaction with current prize structures, highlighting broader concerns among elite players.

Earlier, Sabalenka revealed her engagement ring, gifted by Cypriot businessman Georgios Frangulis. Its estimated value stands at 231 million rubles.

Details

Aryna Siarhiejeŭna Sabalenka (born 5 May 1998) is a Belarusian professional tennis player. She is the current world No. 1 in women's singles by the WTA and is a former No. 1 in doubles. Sabalenka has won 24 WTA Tour-level singles titles, including four majors – two each at the Australian Open and the US Open – as well as 11 WTA 1000 events. She has also won six doubles titles, including the 2019 US Open and 2021 Australian Open, both with Elise Mertens. Sabalenka came to prominence in 2017 when, together with Aliaksandra Sasnovich, they led the Belarus Fed Cup team to a runner-up finish even though both were ranked outside the top 75 at the time. She finished 2018 and 2019 ranked world No. 11 in singles. Following two major singles semifinal appearances in 2021, Sabalenka rose to world No. 2 but struggled to maintain that success in 2022 consistently. In 2023, she won her first major singles title at the Australian Open, finished runner-up at the US Open, and obtained the world No. 1 ranking for the first time.