Defending Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner kept his pre-tournament media appearance brief on Saturday as the protest by leading players over Grand Slam prize money and player welfare continued, although the world No. 1 insisted his focus remains firmly on tennis.
Sinner spoke for just over 10 minutes during his scheduled media session, well below the 15-minute limit players have imposed on themselves during the opening week of Wimbledon as part of coordinated action aimed at pressuring the four Grand Slam tournaments.
The appearance was timed by a Wimbledon host, who informed reporters beforehand that the session would be monitored.
The protest began at the French Open earlier this month, where leading players argued they deserve a greater share of tournament revenues despite Grand Slam events generating record commercial income.
Wimbledon responded by increasing total prize money by 20% this year, with the men’s and women’s singles champions each set to receive 3.6 million pounds ($4.75 million).
While acknowledging that discussions have become more constructive, Sinner suggested players are still seeking broader reforms.
“It’s getting better even though we are not at the point where we are 100% happy,” Sinner said. “At the same time we are seeing improvement.”
The four-time Grand Slam champion emphasized that the negotiations extend beyond financial issues.
“It’s not only about the money,” he said, adding that player welfare also remains a central concern.
However, Sinner repeatedly declined to elaborate on ongoing talks or discuss proposals reportedly being considered by Wimbledon, including efforts to establish a formal player council.
“I just think it’s better if we don’t discuss here. I don’t like to talk about this at the moment,” he said.
Asked whether players believed they were moving closer to an agreement or considering stronger action, including a possible boycott, Sinner again steered the conversation away from the dispute.
“I think we talked enough about this at the moment. The Grand Slams know what we ask, and then we’ll see how that goes,” he said.
“Again, I’m here now to talk about tennis.”
The coordinated media protest has become the most visible sign of growing frustration among top players regarding the distribution of revenue generated by the sport’s four major tournaments.
Players argued at Roland Garros that total prize money represented only 14.3% of the tournament’s overall revenue.
Although Wimbledon increased its prize fund, a statement issued this week by an advisory firm representing the players said their share of projected tournament revenue would rise only marginally to 14.4%, still below the 14.9% they received a decade ago.
The statement confirmed that players would continue limiting their media commitments throughout the first week of Wimbledon while negotiations remain ongoing.
Tournament organizers have expressed disappointment with the action.
The All England Club previously said it was “surprised and disappointed” by the protest but maintained that it remains committed to engaging with players as discussions continue during the Championships.
Despite the off-court dispute, Sinner enters Wimbledon as one of the favorites after capturing last year’s title and will begin his title defense on Monday with expectations of another deep run at the All England Club.
