Players will boycott a Slam 'at some point' over prize money demands - Sabalenka

Breaking news from the world of sport: Players will boycott a Slam 'at some point' - Sabalenka Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Aryna Sabalenka is a four-time Grand Slam singles champion By Russell Fuller Tennis correspondent in Rome Published 11 minutes ago World number one Aryna Sabalenka believes players will boycott a Grand Slam "at some point" because of the ongoing dispute over prize money. The men's and women's top-10 players are demanding a higher percentage of the revenue generated by the four majors, as well as benefit contributions and a greater say in areas such as scheduling. But until Sabalenka spoke to the media in Rome before the Italian Open, players had been circumspect on the subject of strike action.

"I think at some point we will boycott it. I feel like that's going to be the only way to kind of fight for our rights," the Belarusian said. "I feel like the show is on us.

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I feel like without us there wouldn't be a tournament and there wouldn't be that entertainment. " World number three Iga Swiatek also supports the call for increased prize money but said a boycott would be a "bit extreme," while second-ranked Elena Rybakina said she would go with the majority. More money and bigger say - are top-10 stars being reasonable?

Published 14 January On Monday, a number of leading players expressed their "deep disappointment" at the prize money at this year's French Open. The fund at Roland Garros has increased by 9. 5% - but the players believe that is some way below the 22% of tournament revenue they feel they are entitled to.

"I just really hope that we at some point are going to get to the right decision, to the conclusion that everyone will be happy with," Sabalenka, 28, said. "I feel like nowadays, we girls can easily get together and go for this because some of the things I feel like it's really unfair to the players. " The financial pot at last year's US Open rose by 20%, with the figure for January's Australian Open nearly 16% higher.

Reactions and Expectations

Wimbledon will announce its prize money next month. Poland's Swiatek said she would prefer continued discussions and negotiations with the majors instead of a boycott. "I think the most important thing is to have proper communication and discussions with the governing bodies so we have some space to talk and maybe negotiate," the Wimbledon champion said.

"Hopefully before Roland Garros there's going to be opportunity to have these type of meetings and we'll see how they go. "But boycotting the tournament, it's a bit extreme kind of situation. "I guess we as players are here to play as individuals, and we're competing against each other.

"So it's really hard for me to say how it would work, if it's even there on the picture. For now, I haven't heard anything. " Australian Open champion Rybakina added: "I honestly don't know.

The story has climbed to the top of the sports agenda, with fans and analysts following closely.