Coco Gauff says her goal is to help reshape tennis for the long term, as players continue to push the Grand Slams for a larger share of revenues and stronger player protections.
Speaking to the press after her quarterfinal win over Eva Lys in Beijing, the 21-year-old American emphasized that the issue extends far beyond prize money for champions.
“I think it’s important for the whole ecosystem of the sport,” Gauff said. “We’re not talking about just raising the prize money for the champion, but trickling all the way down to qualies … our 200th best player, 300th best player are struggling to make ends meet.
“In other leagues, it’s not that common, especially with the revenue that tennis is generating.”
According to reporting from the Associated Press, a letter dated July 30 was sent to all four Grand Slam tournaments and signed by most of the ATP and WTA Top 10, including Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Jack Draper. It was the second such letter this year, after a March petition.
The July 30 letter, which the AP said it had only recently seen, sought specific benchmarks: raising the share of Slam revenues distributed to players from 16 percent to 22 percent by 2030, creating a $12 million annual contribution to pension, health, and maternity benefits by that year, and forming a new player council. The AP reports that all four Slams — Wimbledon, Roland-Garros, the Australian Open and the US Open — have since replied.
The USTA’s Aug. 18 response, signed by interim co-CEO Brian Vahaly and chief executive of professional tennis Stacey Allaster, pointed to a 57 percent growth of the US Open purse in the past five years, with 2025 prize money reaching $90 million. “We want to reiterate our commitment to engaging in direct, honest and transparent discussions with the players,” their statement read, according to the AP.
For Gauff, the push is about more than incremental gains.
“I want to leave the sport better than I found it,” she said. “Obviously, all the top-10 players agree. I think this is the first time on the tour we’ve gotten both the top 10 on men and women to sign something and agree to something. I think it’s a big step.”
Meetings have already taken place between players’ representatives, including former WTA CEO Larry Scott, and Slam leaders.
“Yeah, I know they’re having conversations,” Gauff said. “Hopefully we can reach a solution in the near future.”
