Zheng Qinwen, the world’s No. 8 player, has said she is in favour of a letter from elite tennis players. The letter supports a big jump in prize money for the Grand Slam tournament. She calls this new initiative a “really positive” move in the right direction for the sport. The resulting letter was signed by the top 20-ranked male and female players. They call on the tournament organizers of the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open to reconsider their prize pools.
Zheng led important conversations with other player Victoria Azarenka. Inspired by these discussions, she resolved to fight for higher wages for her fellow players. Just last year, the US Open broke records with an unprecedented $75 million overall prize pool. This new total represents a historic 15% increase from the 2023 level. For reference, Wimbledon did the right thing in making a record $65 million available in player prize money this year. At the same time, the Australian Open raised its prize pool to about $60 million, up almost 12% from a year ago. The French Open did its part, kicking in about $59 million in prize money, an increase of over 7.8% from 2023.
Zheng, at first, did not believe the initiative was feasible. She understood that behind it all, it was the players’ collective effort that brought that reality within reach.
“At the beginning, I just thought it’s tough to make it happen,” – Zheng Qinwen
She kept the conversation going with her direct supervisor. From a business perspective, they decided that this new movement would be good for all tennis players. Zheng stressed that those even below the highest echelon deserve equitable pay to be able to pursue their work.
“I think it’s a good cause to come together as players and make sure we’re getting treated fairly,” – Emma Navarro, ranked No. 11 in tennis, echoed this sentiment.
Navarro emphasized that the letter tackles other big issues including “unfair pay ratios.” She emphasized that developing winning careers in tennis requires a huge investment in coaching and support staff.
Zheng highlighted the importance of fair compensation. He argued that better prize money would help not just the best players who are already there, but those seeking to make it on the circuit.
“I think that’s going to be more benefit for all the players, not only the top players, especially for those players that work hard every year and need to get paid from the slams,” – Zheng Qinwen.
She identified the hardships thousands of in-state racing competitors face financially. She noted that equitable pay is key to ensuring their ability to continue competing in the sport.
The Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA) filed lawsuits against the ATP and WTA Tours, ITF, and ITIA last month, highlighting ongoing disputes over player rights and compensation structures.
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