Leading players at Wimbledon begin their latest protest of tournament prize money and will limit their media appearances on the eve of the Championships.
Wimbledon’s announcement of record prize money at this year’s tournament was initially welcomed by star names on the men’s and women’s tours as a “genuine and significant step forward” - but it has not stopped collective action.
Top players from the men’s and women’s tours, including defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner and world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka Swiatek, limiting their contractual media commitments to a symbolic 15 minutes, starting with the pre-tournament press conferences.
Wimbledon’s prize money now stands at an overall £64.2m, the players want their share of revenues at the grand slams to reach 22 per cent, and believe their share of this year’s revenues is set to stand at less than 15 per cent.
Elsewhere, Emma Raducanu postponed her pre-Wimbledon press conference after cutting a practice session short to increase fears that the British No 1 could miss this year’s tournament.
Follow the latest tennis news from Wimbledon, below
Wimbledon LIVE: Latest tennis news
- Wimbledon stars begin media protest as prize money row continues
- Leading players to start cutting their media commitments to 15 minutes
- Player protests come after Wimbledon's record prize money announcement
- Emma Raducanu postpones press conference as injury fears grow
- Serena Williams, 44, drawn to play Maya Joint on Wimbledon return
- Confirmed order of play on day one and tournament schedule
Naomi Osaka retires injured from final two days before Wimbledon
02:00 , Jamie Braidwood
Naomi Osaka retired from the Bad Homburg final due to a foot injury - just two days before Wimbledon.
The four-time grand slam champion was trailing Karolina Muchova 6-1 1-0 when she retired from the match.
Osaka had won four matches in a row this week without dropping a set to reach her first grass-court final.
Osaka was bidding to win her first title since the 2021 Australian Open but was instead dealt a blow to her Wimbledon preparations.
“I apologise for not being able to finish but this atmosphere has been incredible all week so thank you so much,” Osaka told the crowd in Germany.
Naomi Osaka retires injured from final two days before Wimbledon
Jannik Sinner shuts down questions over player media protest at Wimbledon
01:00 , Jamie Braidwood
Jannik Sinner said he “wanted to talk about tennis” as the defending Wimbledon champion cut his pre-tournament press conference short in the dispute over prize money.
“I think it’s getting better, even though we are not at the point where we are 100 per cent happy,” he said of the prize money.
“It’s not about the money – not only about the money. It’s the whole scenario we take into consideration with welfare and everything else.”
Sinner then refused to answer further questions on the topic, including why the players have turned down Wimbledon’s offer of setting up a player council to address welfare issues.
Overall prize money has more than doubled in the last 10 years but the players argue it has not kept pace with the increase in revenue.
Meet the 21 British players at Wimbledon: ‘It’s been a dream since I started playing’
00:00 , Jamie Braidwood
From grand slam champions to underdogs ranked outside the world’s top 300, these are the home players who will be taking to the grass at SW19 in the singles draws
Meet the 21 British players at Wimbledon: ‘It’s been a dream since I started playing’
Player protests come after record prize money announcement
23:00 , Jamie Braidwood
Earlier this month, the All England Club announced record prize money for this year’s tournament, confirming their biggest ever uplift in prize money and increasing the overall prize pool by 20 per cent. Wimbledon’s prize money now stands at an overall £64.2m; the breakdown of which sees the singles champions win a record £3.6m each and first-round losers receiving £80,000.
The players have been pushing for a greater share of revenues for well over a year, and want a revenue-sharing formula to be established and written into any future prize money announcements.
The players want their share of revenues at the grand slams to reach 22 per cent, the figure they receive at some events on the ATP and WTA Tours, by 2030, and had written to Wimbledon to propose a 16 per cent cut for this year. That would have seen their prize money increase further, to £71m.
22:00 , Jamie Braidwood
Leading players at Wimbledon will stage a week of protests as the row over prize money at the grand slam tournaments continues.
Top players from the men’s and women’s tours, including defending champions Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, will limit their contractual media commitments to a symbolic 15 minutes per match day during the first week of the tournament. This will include post-match press conferences and interviews with TV rights holders. The action will begin at across the pre-tournament press conferences on Saturday and Sunday.
Wimbledon prize money protest explained: What do tennis players want?
Not all players joined in with the prize money protest
21:00 , Jamie Braidwood
French Open champion Alexander Zverev, Alex de Minaur and Ben Shelton were among the players who said they weren’t taking part in the prize money protest by limiting their press conferences.
It’s after Wimbledon increased its prize money by 20 per cent from last year, in the tournament’s biggest ever uplift.
De Minaur said: “I thought that Wimbledon made a big step in the right direction, and something that should be noted. So this is for me to acknowledge their big step.”
Shelton added: “I decided to give more time on media day today because Wimbledon is a special place.
“They’ve always treated me well here. They let me come and train after the French Open, get on the grass. They helped me out my first year that I came out on tour.
“I think they have made an effort. I think that showed in the increase that they brought in prize money this year.”
Mirra Andreeva: 'I wouldn't want to play against Serena!'
20:20 , Jamie Braidwood
Serena Williams was already a six-time grand slam champion by the time Mirra Andreeva, the newly crowned French Open champion, was born in 2007.
“I was watching her matches when I was younger, and of course I was following what she does and cheering for her when she would win those grand slams,” Andreeva said ahead of the 44-year-old’s return. “I would never think I would actually play the same tournament as her.
“When I arrived on-site and I was warming up for my practice, they were doing the draw ceremony, I was watching like this because I don't think anyone in the draw would have wanted to play against Serena. I'm going to speak for myself. I wouldn't want to play against Serena. I would be just very nervous.
“But I just think that it's amazing that she came back. She came back for doubles, but now she's going to play singles as well. I don't know. It's incredible to see.”
Will grand slam titles be like London buses for Alexander Zverev ?
19:40 , Jamie Braidwood
Alexander Zverev ended his long wait to become a grand slam champion when he defeated Flavio Cobolli to win the French Open last month. Could a second title arrive in quick succession for the German after breaking through? Like London buses?
“I hope the saying will be true for me. But again, Wimbledon has always been the grand slam that I struggled the most at.
“Personally I do feel different this year. I do feel like I have a good preparation. I do feel like I play good tennis at the moment. I'm going to do everything I can to show that on the tennis court, just show that on the match court.
“After that, that's all that I have in my control and everything else will follow.”
Iga Swiatek on returning as Wimbledon champion and expectations
19:00 , Jamie Braidwood
“Honestly, I'm going to look at it in a realistic way. Obviously last year's grass season was great. But it's not like I always felt amazing on grass, so...
“Even though I won, I still feel like I have stuff to figure out. Like this year even, the Bad Homburg tournament didn't really get me that nice rhythm that I had last year.
“I feel like I'm starting from a totally different position and I'm really in a place that I'm keeping my expectations low. Even though everybody is talking about [being defending champion], I feel like I need to play matches. It's not going to be smooth because of last year.”
Cameron Norrie focused on tennis after 'huge' prize money increase
18:20 , Jamie Braidwood
One player not involved in the prize money protest is British No 1 Cameron Norrie, who said the 20 per cent increase in prize money is “absolutely huge” and praised Wimbledon for improving player facilities.
“I think when you put it into perspective, I'm pretty happy and pretty lucky to be here playing for that.
“I think Wimbledon, especially, they take such good care of the players. You feel so special being in the tournament and playing.
“I haven't really focused too much on any of the other stuff, like some of the other players.
“I'm just focused on trying to get myself ready and prepared for round one. I'm hungry. I want to keep going.”
Andrew Castle admits he is ‘upset’ over departure from BBC’s Wimbledon team
17:40 , Flo Clifford
Veteran commentator Andrew Castle said he was “upset” to learn that this would be his last broadcasting Wimbledon for the BBC.
Castle will be part of the broadcasting and commentary team for this year’s tournament, which begins on Monday, but announced he would step down entirely after this Championships rather than take a different role.
The BBC, which has recently renewed its free-to-air broadcast agreement with Wimbledon until 2033, is revamping its coverage of the tournament once again.
Castle told The Telegraph: “Am I upset? Yeah, I was upset, and I will stay that way this year, knowing it’s my last. But all good things come to an end.”
Andrew Castle admits he is ‘upset’ over departure from BBC Wimbledon team
Coco Gauff had 'no hesitation' about joining prize money protest
17:06 , Jamie Braidwood
Coco Gauff also cut her press conference short at Wimbledon and perhaps gave the best explanation at why the players are continuing to protest despite prize money increasing by 20 per cent this year.
“We definitely welcome and appreciate the increase. It's still below what happened in 2016, below the 16 per cent [share of revenue] that we're ago asking for. Also revenue has been up $280 million over the course of the decade, but the revenue was lower a decade ago. I think as the tournament grows in revenue, I definitely think this year should grow.
“I think a lot of people maybe online are trying to perceive this is maybe us since the top players are the ones really getting our message out there.
“I think people have to remember there are a lot of players below the rankings who are very good, top 100, top 200 in the world of their sport. They come back from injury and are not necessarily getting that support. Also we ask some of the slams to participate in the welfare programs that we want just to help the quality of our sport as a whole.
“I definitely think the increase is good, but it's quite not where we would like it to be. That's why my stance has still kind of been the same.
“I can't speak for the future. I don't know if that will change or not. But I think as a collective, I am happy. I understand why players maybe not want to participate in it.”
The worrying Aryna Sabalenka trend jeopardising Wimbledon title bid
16:20 , Flo Clifford
Sabalenka has been racked with tension at key points in her last two tournaments, but a blueprint from an unlikely source could help her rediscover her title-winning ways this summer
The worrying Aryna Sabalenka trend jeopardising Wimbledon title bid
Novak Djokovic's potential path to 25th grand slam title
16:00 , Jamie Braidwood
R1: vs Wu
R2: vs Tsitsipas
R3: vs Rinderknech (25)
R4: vs Rublev (12) / Fonseca (24)
QF: vs Auger-Aliassime (3) / Norrie (26) / Tien (16)
SF: Jannik Sinner (1)
F: Alexander Zverev (2), Ben Shelton (4), Taylor Fritz (6)
Novak Djokovic feeling confident ahead of Wimbledon
15:41 , Jamie Braidwood
Novak Djokovic opens his Wimbledon campaign against China’s Wu Yibing on Monday.
The Serbian, 39, was knocked out of the French Open in the third round by Joao Fonseca last month, but he revealed his confidence is high ahead of Wimbledon is pleased with his preparation.
“I think it is different in terms of just the overall physical state,” he said. “I think I'm better prepared here than I was for Roland Garros.
“Obviously playing on grass, comparing to clay, you don't need to exert as much physical effort. So that's better for me,
“I always loved playing on grass. I have a very good history, here at Wimbledon. That gives me a higher dose of confidence coming into the tournament.”
Wimbledon prize money protest explained: What do tennis players want?
15:20 , Jamie Braidwood
The top tennis players in the world are demanding a ‘fairer’ share of tournament revenues and will cut their media appearances during the first week of Wimbledon despite receiving record prize money this year.
Wimbledon prize money protest explained: What do tennis players want?
Emma Raducanu postpones pre-Wimbledon press conference as injury fears grow
14:50 , Jamie Braidwood
It appears Emma Raducanu is giving herself as much time as possible to manage the injury, but time is running out ahead of her scheduled first-round match against Croatia’s Antonio Ruzic on Monday.
Emma Raducanu postpones pre-Wimbledon press conference as injury fears grow
Wimbledon first-round matches to watch: Serena Williams v Maya Joint
14:40 , Jamie Braidwood
Serena Williams’ first-round match at Wimbledon was also going to be one to watch, whoever the 44-year-old was drawn next to ahead of her first singles match in four years. Williams could have played anyone in the women’s draw, so in Australia’s Maya Joint, the American has perhaps landed a forgiving opening opponent.
We should remember, of course, that Williams lost her last match at Wimbledon to the virtually unknown Harmony Tan, then ranked 115th in the world. Even with two matches in doubles under her belt, there is going to be a lot of rust - and unknowns - when Williams steps back onto Centre Court. Given the unprecedented nature of her comeback, Williams will still be a huge underdog against Joint, the world No 53.
That’s not to say it’s not a winnable match for Williams, or a daunting prospect for the 20-year-old Joint. After all, tennis history will tower over the Australian when the players step onto court. Williams is the greatest women’s player of all time, with 23 grand slam titles and seven Wimbledon crowns. Joint may have won a WTA title on grass at Eastbourne, but she has only progressed past the first-round of a grand slam twice. It’s going to be the biggest match of Joint’s career by some distance.
That can play into Williams’ hands. Everything about this match will be compelling, from the show of Williams’ return, to the fact that there will be a 24-year age gap between the players.
Novak Djokovic praises Serena Williams ahead of Wimbledon comeback: 'Its epic'
14:20 , Jamie Braidwood
Novak Djokovic called Serena Williams an “inspiration” as the 23-time grand slam prepares to make what he called an “epic” comeback at the age of 44.
Djokovic revealed he had seen Williams in the gym more often this week than compared to her prime and is excited to see how she performs.
“What she's doing is inspirational and it's epic. That's what I told her. I always admired her career, her journey, her story. Of course, Venus', as well.
“For her to come back after years of being absent from the tour, two children later, and to give so much effort to, not just for her own satisfaction or coming back on the tour, but also to give all of us a pleasure of seeing her back on the court - in singles as well as doubles - is remarkable.
“I told her that whatever happens, what she's doing is truly inspirational for me personally, I'm sure for millions around the world.
“I see her in the gym more than I have, I think, seen her when she was at her prime. It tells me that she really wants this to work out the best way possible.”
Emma Raducanu postpones press conference as Wimbledon fears grow
14:17 , Jamie Braidwood
Emma Raducanu has postponed her pre-Wimbledon press conference after cutting a practice session short to increase fears that the British No 1 could miss this year’s tournament.
Raducanu has been managing a foot injury since reaching the Queen’s final and appeared at the All England Club on Saturday with her right ankle strapped in protective tape.
The 23-year-old took part in a training session at midday before playing a practice session with world No 20 Anna Kalinskaya on Court 3 at 1pm.
However, Raducanu appeared to wrap up the session earlier than planned after playing, and losing, four games in a row, before her scheduled press conference for later in the afternoon was rearranged for tomorrow.
It appears Raducanu is giving herself as much time as possible to manage the injury, ahead of her scheduled first-round match against Croatia’s Antonio Ruzic on Monday.
Aryna Sabalenka on involvement in Wimbledon prize money protest
14:00 , Jamie Braidwood
Aryna Sabalenka also cut her pre-Wimbledon short after roughly eight minutes, while the world No 1 also appeared to get her messaging confused by saying prize money has remained the same over the last 10 years.
Prize money has increased substantially in the last decade, but it is the ratio of prize money to tournament revenues that has remained roughly the same, with the leading players’ representatives saying it is around 15 per cent.
Sabalenka, though, did say that she wanted to protest for lower-ranked players who struggle to make a living from the sport.
“It's a great start they raise the prize money. [But] if you look over the last 10 years, if you compare the prize money to 2016, it's kind of like the same because [the share of revenue] went down.
“Listen, we do it for the tour, we don't do it for ourselves. We do it for the rest of the players who are suffering to even hire coach. It's not an easy life for players who is, like, lower in the ranking. So we do it for them.
”I'm more than sure the crowd understand us. I mean, we're playing matches, we're there, we're competing, we're bringing the show.
“Now we just limiting our media. We just trying to really get to something that everyone going to be happy with.”
Emma Raducanu continues training at Wimbledon with strapped ankle
13:40 , Jamie Braidwood
Emma Raducanu trained on Court 3 alongside Anna Kalinskaya, and with her right ankle tapped. It looks like a protective measure, for additional support. The British No 1’s movement did not appear to be overly limited.
Jack Draper reacts to Taylor Fritz draw: 'Tricky one!'
13:20 , Jamie Braidwood
“It’s definitely a tricky one, isn’t it? I was prepared that I was going to play someone who’s a top seed.
“I’ve lost my ranking and I’ve lost my seeded place in the slam so I have to work up the rankings to get that back, so it’s a lottery really.
“Obviously Taylor is a great player. We’ve played multiple times already, and it’s going to be a really, really good battle. It’s going to be a tough match. I’m looking forward to it.”
Jannik Sinner on whether there has been progress in prize money dispute
13:09 , Jamie Braidwood
“I think it's getting better, even though we are not at the point where we are 100 per cent happy. In the same time we have seen improvement.
“Again, it’s not only about the money. It's the whole scenario we take into consideration with welfare and everything else. Let's see.”
On Wimbledon’s proposal to form a 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.”
Another question on continuing the protest despite what he called “improvement”: “I think we talked enough about this at the moment.
“The Grand Slams know what we ask, then we see how it goes. Again, I'm here now to talk about tennis.”
Emma Raducanu wearing strapping as she manages injury
12:27 , Jamie Braidwood
Emma Raducanu is wearing strapping on her right ankle as she returns to the practice courts at Wimbledon.
The British No 1 is managing a ‘niggle’ ahead of Wimbledon, but will train for a couple of hours this afternoon.
She is scheduled to speak to the media later this afternoon, but that strapping does not look idea following reports that she was wearing a protective boot earlier this week.
Serena Williams returns, a real first-round blockbuster, and a clash of two favourites
11:50 , Jamie Braidwood
Serena Williams will make her singles comeback against Maya Joint, while there was a gasp during the Wimbledon ceremony as Taylor Fritz was drawn against Britain’s Jack Draper
These are our picks of the draw.
Wimbledon matches to watch: Serena Williams returns, a first-round blockbuster
Naomi Osaka retires injured from final two days before Wimbledon
11:48 , Jamie Braidwood
Naomi Osaka retired from the Bad Homburg final due to a foot injury - just two days before Wimbledon.
The four-time grand slam champion was trailing Karolina Muchova 6-1 1-0 when she retired from the match.
Osaka had won four matches in a row this week without dropping a set to reach her first grass-court final.
Osaka was bidding to win her first title since the 2021 Australian Open but was instead dealt a blow to her Wimbledon preparations.
“I apologise for not being able to finish but this atmosphere has been incredible all week so thank you so much,” Osaka told the crowd in Germany.
Jannik Sinner times his press conference, cuts answers short
11:30 , Jamie Braidwood
Jannik Sinner said he “wanted to talk about tennis” as the defending Wimbledon champion cut his pre-tournament press conference short.
It was announced by the press conference moderator that Sinner would be timing his press conference, as players stage their prize money protest, and the world No 1 limited his appearance to around 10 minutes, answering questions in English, Italian and German.
Sinner there had been “improvements” in the discussions on prize money after Wimbledon announced a 20 per cent increase, but refused to answer a further question about the changes he would like to see around player welfare.
Defending champion Jannik Sinner's route to Wimbledon title
11:10 , Jamie Braidwood
Reigning champion Jannik Sinner returns as the top seed - with Carlos Alcaraz absent due to injury - and will face Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic as he begins his title defence. Seventh seed Novak Djokovic is a possible semi-final opponent for the Italian.
R1: Kecmanovic
R2: Borges
R2: Buse (31)
R4: Darderi (14) / Jodar (23)
QF : Medvedev (8) / Ruud (11) / Paul (21)
SF: Novak Djokovic (7)
F: Alexander Zverev (2), Ben Shelton (4), Taylor Fritz (6)
Confirmed order of play on day one and tournament schedule
10:55 , Jamie Braidwood
Defending men’s Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner will open play on Centre Court against Miomir Kecmanovic while Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka and Emma Raducanu will also be in action on day one of the Championships.
Sinner, the favourite to defend his title with two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz absent, has not played a match since his shock second-round exit from the French Open last month, which came while the Italian was feeling unwell in the intense heat.
The men’s No 1 has been drawn in the same half of the draw as seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, who begins his latest bid for a 25th time grand slam title against China’s Wu Yibing at the age of 39.
Sabalenka, the women’s No 1, also begins her campaign against Teodora Kostovic, while a potential third-round rematch with British No 1 Raducanu could await later in the tournament.
Raducanu, who lost to Sabalenka in the third round of Wimbledon last year, came into the tournament with a slight injury worry and plays Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic, on her favoured No 1 Court, in her first match.
Wimbledon 2026: Confirmed order of play on day one and tournament schedule
Meet the 21 British players at Wimbledon: ‘It’s been a dream since I started playing’
10:55 , Jamie Braidwood
From grand slam champions to underdogs ranked outside the world’s top 300, these are the home players who will be taking to the grass at SW19 in the singles draws
Meet the 21 British players at Wimbledon: ‘It’s been a dream since I started playing’
British players in the draw - men’s singles
10:25 , Jamie Braidwood
- Cameron Norrie (26) v Michael Zheng (Q)
- Shintaro Mochizuki (Q) v Max Basing (Q)
- Brandon Nakashima (28) v Jack Pinnington Jones (WC)
- Felix Gill (WC) v Rafael Jodar (23)
- Arthur Rinderknech (25) v Oliver Tarvet (Q)
- Karen Khachanov (19) v Billy Harris (Q)
- Jakub Mensik (15) v Toby Samuel (WC)
- Damir Dzumhur v Arthur Fery (WC)
- Taylor Fritz (6) v Jack Draper
- Alex Michelsen v Jacob Fearnley (WC)
- Vit Kropiva v Jan Choinski
- Valentin Royer v Harry Wendelken (WC)
British players in the draw - women’s singles
09:55 , Jamie Braidwood
- (WC) Mika Stojsavljevic v Belinda Bencic (11)
- Fran Jones v Diane Parry
- Emma Raducanu (30) v Antonia Ruzic
- (WC) Harriet Dart v Jelena Ostapenko
- Alicia Parks v Alicia Dudeney (WC)
- Barbora Krejcikova v Hannah Klugman (WC)
- Irina-Camelia Begu v Katie Swan (WC)
- Katie Boulter v Tyra Grant (Q)
- Mimi Xu vs Daria Kasatkina
Jack Draper’s daunting Wimbledon draw followed by Eastbourne Open disappointment
09:25 , Edward Elliot
Jack Draper’s daunting Wimbledon draw was followed by disappointment at the Eastbourne Open as he suffered a semi-final exit at the hands of Ugo Humbert.
The 24-year-old discovered on Friday morning he will face world number seven Taylor Fritz in the first round at the All England Club after an injury-ravaged year left him unseeded.
He was then denied a place in the final at Devonshire Park as he slipped to a 7-5 6-3 loss to sixth seed Humbert in an hour and 42 minutes.
While the defeat dashed Draper’s hopes of securing a maiden ATP title on home soil, he can take confidence from a promising week on grass following a year disrupted by injury.
Jack Draper’s daunting Wimbledon draw followed by Eastbourne Open disappointment
Why is Carlos Alcaraz not playing Wimbledon?
08:55 , Jamie Braidwood
Wimbledon will be a quieter place this year without the talents of two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz.
The 23-year-old Spaniard is not playing this year’s tournament as he continues to recover from a wrist injury.
Alcaraz initially made the decision to skip the defence of his French Open title after withdrawing from the Barcelona Open in April due to pain in his right wrist.
He then confirmed he would be missing the entire grass-court season, with a possible return planned ahead of the US Open later this summer.
Why is Carlos Alcaraz not playing Wimbledon?
When is Serena Williams playing at Wimbledon?
08:35 , Jamie Braidwood
Serena Williams will play Australia’s Maya Joint, the world No 53, in the first round of Wimbledon as the seven-time champion returns to the Championships and singles action for the first time in four years.
Williams, 44, lost in the first round to Harmony Tan on her last Wimbledon appearance in 2022 and has made a stunning comeback to the sport this month, receiving a wildcard into the doubles with her sister Venus Williams and, sensationally, into the singles as well.
When is Serena Williams playing at Wimbledon?
Emma Raducanu 'managing a niggle' ahead of Wimbledon
08:15 , Eleanor Crooks
Emma Raducanu is due to open her Wimbledon campaign against Croatian Antonia Ruzic but fitness doubts surround the 30th seed, who could again meet Aryna Sabalenka in the third round in a repeat of last year.
Raducanu did not turn up for her scheduled practice session on Thursday having reportedly been seen wearing a protective boot the previous evening.
The British number one’s team confirmed she is managing a niggle and concerns grew when she did not appear on the practice schedule for Friday.
Raducanu is due to speak to the media at a press conference on Saturday.
Wimbledon prize money: Men's and women's singles
08:10 , Jamie Braidwood
First round - £80,000
Second round - £126,000
Third round - £185,000
Fourth round - £300,000
Quarter-finals - £480,000
Semi-finals - £900,000
Runner-up - £1.8m
Winner - £3.6m
Overall increase from 2025: 22%
Player protests come after record prize money announcement
08:05 , Jamie Braidwood
Earlier this month, the All England Club announced record prize money for this year’s tournament, confirming their biggest ever uplift in prize money and increasing the overall prize pool by 20 per cent. Wimbledon’s prize money now stands at an overall £64.2m; the breakdown of which sees the singles champions win a record £3.6m each and first-round losers receiving £80,000.
The players have been pushing for a greater share of revenues for well over a year, and want a revenue-sharing formula to be established and written into any future prize money announcements.
The players want their share of revenues at the grand slams to reach 22 per cent, the figure they receive at some events on the ATP and WTA Tours, by 2030, and had written to Wimbledon to propose a 16 per cent cut for this year. That would have seen their prize money increase further, to £71m.
Wimbledon prize money protest explained: What do tennis players want?
08:00 , Jamie Braidwood
Leading players at Wimbledon will stage a week of protests as the row over prize money at the grand slam tournaments continues.
Top players from the men’s and women’s tours, including defending champions Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, will limit their contractual media commitments to a symbolic 15 minutes per match day during the first week of the tournament. This will include post-match press conferences and interviews with TV rights holders. The action will begin at across the pre-tournament press conferences on Saturday and Sunday.
Wimbledon prize money protest explained: What do tennis players want?
Wimbledon first-round matches to watch: Jack Draper v Taylor Fritz
Friday 26 June 2026 20:53 , Jamie Braidwood
Everything about this screams blockbuster. It feels like it should be a grand slam semi-final, between two players who have been ranked inside the world’s top five as recently as last year, but it’s taking place in the first round.
Jack Draper, of course, is on the comeback trail. Last year, the Briton entered Wimbledon as the fourth seed. This time, he’s not just unseeded but ranked 160th in the world, after a nightmare year of injury set-backs. Whether the 24-year-old’s body can stand up to a best-of-five match so soon into his latest comeback, given persistent injury issues, remains a huge unknown.
But Draper’s belief is growing, and he will relish the opportunity of stepping onto Centre Court and the big stage in front of his home fans after so spending so long on the sidelines. Draper’s confidence has been picked up by the arrival of a new face in his corner - none other than two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray. With the backing of his idol, Draper can be dangerous.
Fritz, though, has found form on the grass after skipping most of the clay-court season due to a persistent knee injury. The American reached the Wimbledon semi-finals only last year, and it required an inspired Carlos Alcaraz to subdue him, and he has since reached back-to-back finals at Stuttgart and Halle -which included an impressive win over top seed Alexander Zverev.
Fritz and Draper could have met at this week’s Eastbourne, but the 28-year-old American pulled out on the eve of the warm-up event citing a back injury. It made sense: as Fritz, on this form, has a chance of winning Wimbledon if he can replicate his grass-court form. One thing is for sure, though, this is as tough as an opening draw as either player could have asked for.
