Players won’t protest when they hear about Wimbledon prize money, claim organisers

The All England Club is confident that there will be no player protests at Wimbledon following their meetings with representatives of the top tennis players at the French Open. Individuals representing top tennis players, led by the former WTA chief executive Larry Scott, met Wimbledon officials on Monday to discuss the state of the dispute, discussions that both parties viewed as productive. A spokesperson for the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) said: “We were pleased to have the opportunity to meet with the players’ representative at Roland Garros. Our discussions about the arrangements for this year’s Championships were positive. We look forward to continuing these discussions in further detail after the Championships.” The AELTC’s prize money announcement, which takes place next Thursday ahead of the Championships, will be another critical moment in this dispute and there is significant anticipation over the rise. The player representatives informed the AELTC during the meeting that they expect a significant increase to their prize money purse during their meeting. The AELTC generally holds off on finalising their prize money pool until relatively close to the announcement, allowing them greater flexibility regarding their financial contributions. The build up to the French Open was dominated by the growing discontent from the top men’s and women’s players regarding the response from grand slams to their criticisms. …