Kim Clijsters calls on Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka to help in Grand Slam prize money row
Kim Clijsters believes the likes of Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka will be the difference-makers when it comes to players getting what they want with Grand Slam prize money.
After it was revealed that men’s and women’s players would get a 14.9% revenue share of the French Open’s prize money pot, Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have mooted the prospect of boycotting the majors.
The Belarusian said, “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.”
World No 3 Iga Swiatek felt that course of action was a “bit extreme”, but did support calls for increased prize money.
The French Open‘s prize pot is up 9.5% from last year, but many players feel they are entitled to 22% of the tournament’s revenue. Now, Clijsters has weighed in on the matter.
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The four-time Grand Slam champion believes that if the WTA and ATP Tour players are going to get their way, they need the leverage a Djokovic or a Sabalenka can provide.
She said on the latest episode of Love All, “It’s not for the [Jannik] Sinner’s and [Aryna] Sabalenka’s, but it’s the general pool of players who deserve to be treated in a different way.
“They deserve to make more money so they can actually play tennis the right way and get to travel with a coach and not worry about making decisions on having to share a hotel with a player. I think tennis has a long way to go, and it has to start at the top.
“The support has to come from the Novak Djokovic’s and the Sabalenka’s. Those are the players who can make a difference and have an impact and get the ball rolling.
“It is an ongoing story that we have talked about for a very long time, and it’s nice to see that there are certain players who are now saying we have to push through with this and not give up.”
For Clijsters, this is not a new topic. Indeed, back when she was playing alongside the likes of Serena and Venus Williams, they were at the forefront in pushing for equal pay.
The Belgian said boycotts were talked about in the past but nothing like that ever came to fruition. For the time being, though, this story is not going away.
