Coco Gauff has warned that players will continue to speak out if demands over prize money and other issues are not addressed at the Grand Slam level, following her opening-round win at the Australian Open on Monday.
The world’s leading players, including Gauff, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka, Madison Keys, Alex de Minaur, and Casper Ruud, have called for a significant increase in prize money. They have also sought greater consultation on scheduling and key decisions, and have urged the Grand Slams to contribute to pension, healthcare, and maternity benefits.
In the wake of these concerns, Tennis Australia defended its prize money structure and reaffirmed its position.
Asked about the situation and whether it could lead to protests, Gauff said no such action was currently being discussed, but did not rule it out in the future.
“As of right now, I haven’t heard any rumours of that (protests) being a possibility. I do know players are going to put more pressure on the Slams if certain things aren’t being met to where we see it,” Gauff said.
“But that will have to be a collective decision that we would all have to talk about, which we talked about to where we all have collectively agreed on what we have pushed on so far. Now when it comes to what actions will be taken to maybe put more pressure, that (protests) is a possibility, but as of now I haven’t heard anything,” she added.
Gauff began her Australian Open campaign in commanding fashion, defeating Kamilla Rakhimova 6-2, 6-3 in the first round on Monday.
The American will next face Serbia’s Olga Danilovic on Wednesday. Danilovic advanced after recovering from a set down to defeat veteran Venus Williams in her opening-round match.
What Is Project RedEye And What Are The Players Asking For?
Project RedEye is a player-led initiative aimed at increasing revenue sharing and improving welfare benefits at Grand Slam tournaments.
The campaign is being spearheaded by former WTA chairman and chief executive Larry Scott.
The movement began ahead of last year’s French Open, when the men’s and women’s world No. 1 players, Sinner and Sabalenka, held preliminary discussions with Grand Slam representatives. They were joined by Keys, de Minaur, and Ruud.
Under Project RedEye, players are calling on each of the four Grand Slams to allocate 22% of their annual revenue to prize money by 2030. They argue this would bring the Slams in line with the ATP and WTA Tours, which already commit a similar percentage at their combined ATP 1000 and WTA 1000 events.
As part of the proposal, players want the Slams to commit 16% of revenue to prize money this year. That figure would then rise by 1.5^% annually until 2030.
Beyond prize money, players are seeking greater consultation on scheduling and other key decisions. Project RedEye is also pushing for the Grand Slams to contribute to pension schemes, healthcare coverage, and maternity benefits.
The group estimates that, excluding bonus payments, the ATP and WTA currently spend around $40 million annually on player benefits. To match that level and account for inflation, players want each Grand Slam to contribute $12 million (£9.15 million) per year to benefits by 2030.
The proposed target for this year is $4 million per Slam, with contributions increasing by $2 million each year.
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