Andy Roddick Calls Grand Slam Prize Money ‘Embarrassing’ as Djokovic, Gauff and Sabalenka Push for Boycott

The debate over Grand Slam prize money distribution has drawn one of tennis’s most prominent former champions into the conversation, with Andy Roddick offering a forceful defence of players who have threatened to boycott major tournaments over what they describe as an inadequate share of revenue.

Aryna Sabalenka has been among the most vocal figures calling for reform, signalling her willingness to boycott Grand Slams if the financial structure does not change. She has received public support from fellow players Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina on the WTA side, while on the ATP Tour, both Novak Djokovic and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner have directed criticism at the governing bodies responsible for prize money allocations at the sport’s four majors.

Speaking on his Served podcast, Roddick framed the issue as a straightforward matter of proportional compensation. “If you’re the driver of revenue success and you’re not participating in that success on a year-to-year basis, if it’s not prorated based on growth and the comps to other sports it is embarrassing in no uncertain terms, it’s embarrassing compared to other sports,” he said.

Roddick also drew a direct comparison to collective bargaining disputes in North American professional sport to illustrate the scale of the gap. “The NBA went on strike on a 53–47 split. At minimum, prize money has to grow on a prorated basis with that growth, at the bare minimum,” he said. “The top players don’t make the lion’s share of their money in prize money anyway. It’s endorsements. It’s done behind the white line.”

He was equally direct about the reality facing lower-ranked players on tour. “That’s not real life for someone 90 in the world. That’s traveling, paying, and you’re not pulling down athlete salaries. Just so we’re clear, the players are begging for a 22% share of revenue from Slams.”

The prize money disparity at Grand Slams is stark. At Roland Garros this year, a player eliminated in the first round will receive €5,000, while the singles champion in both the men’s and women’s draws will collect €2,550,000. Critics of the current model argue the gap between early-round losers and champions fails to account for the full cost of competing on the professional circuit.

Roddick was careful to separate the motivations of high-profile advocates like Djokovic and Gauff from any suggestion of personal financial interest. “When Novak talks about it, it’s not because Novak needs more money. If Novak talks about it, it gets press. Press builds pressure. People need to know what’s happening,” he said. Of Gauff, he added: “When you hear Coco Gauff talking about it, it’s not because she needs money and it’s not because she’s greedy. She’s like the most mature human I’ve ever seen at that age.”

Not all voices in the sport have been sympathetic to the players’ position. Commentator Mark Petchey has previously questioned Sabalenka’s stance on the matter, reflecting a broader division of opinion among tennis pundits and former professionals.

Roland Garros 2025 is scheduled to run from 25 May to 7 June in Paris, with qualifying set to begin one week before the main draw. As of now, no player has officially confirmed they will boycott the second Grand Slam of the year, and discussions between player representatives and tournament organisers are understood to be ongoing.