'It's not affordable, it's crazy!' Wheelchair and quad players can relate to prize money dispute
- Christian Montegan
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
The talk of the town at this current minute involves the world's best singles players fighting hard for a larger slice of the Grand Slam revenue pie.
Respective world No.1's Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner, along with Novak Djokovic, Iga Świątek, and Coco Gauff, have expressed their disappointment over Roland-Garros' decision to offer players just 14.9 per cent of the total revenue pool.
"I think at some point we will boycott it, yeah. I feel like that's going to be the only way to fight for our rights," Sabalenka told reporters before her first round match at the Italian Open.
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Some fans and outsiders argue that tennis' top stars should quit complaining and be appreciative of the incredible wealth they earn. But that's a lazy way to view it.
You see, the best players aren't actually advocating for themselves to receive a substantially larger portion of the profits. Instead, they're actually tending to the lower-ranked players outside the world's top 250, who can't make a proper living out of the sport they dedicate their lives towards.
"It's not only for the top players; it's for all of us players," Sinner said in his Rome press conference.
For wheelchair and quad tennis athletes who are just short of making a deep run in Grand Slam tournaments, they fully understand the financial stress of those singles players outside the top 250.
Last month, the French Open announced a record prize pool of €61.7 million (A$100 million), representing a 9.53 per cent increase compared to the 2025 edition.
Obviously, the main attraction is the singles players, which is why the winner of both the men's and women's draws will receive €2.8 million (A$4.55 million). They attract interest, put bums on seats, and are the biggest driving force in helping the four Grand Slams generate their dollars.
Wheelchair and quad tennis exposure has grown leaps and bounds over the years, where the sport has garnered a sense of belonging on the world stage.
But according to Paralympic gold medallist and four-time Australian Open Wheelchair doubles champion Heath Davidson, the gap still requires shrinking.
"If you're in that top tier, then it's a professional sport. But if you're outside of that top tier trying to crack into that top tier, it's almost semi-professional because you're really not making any money," the Aussie said on The First Serve's 'The Push' podcast.
"Then you start weighing things up like, well, I don't have sponsors, do I need to get a job so I can try to make some money to travel to try and then get to that top part of that premier tour.
"Being on the player council this year and last year, myself and Alfie (Hewett) have really honed in on trying to get them to somehow find a way to make it more sustainable for players that are trying to make it through into that top-tier level to be able to afford it."
The 2026 French Open will see a much-welcomed 14.55 per cent uptick in wheelchair and quad prize money (just over €1 million, equating to A$1.64 million). Three years ago, the share was 40 per cent less.
Although all four majors have contributed to an increase in prize money for wheelchair and quad players, including the Australian Open, exceeding the $1 million mark for three consecutive years, those events make up only a portion of the calendar.
"For the 12 years I've been on tour, the only time we make money is at Grand Slams, so everyone really wants to get there," Davidson continued.
"The players who probably need a coach on tour to get better and improve are these ones that are trying to crack that middle-tier. It's just not affordable for them to bring coaches and stuff, it's crazy!
"We've been trying to talk to the ITF about it. They've got some ideas, so hopefully they roll out in the not-too-distant future, and we can try and make this tour a little more sustainable for everyone, not just the top players."
Former world No.5 wheelchair singles player, Lucy Shuker, offered some fresh perspective.
"You have to embrace the journey. It doesn't matter what you're doing in life," she told The Push podcast. "We're very fortunate that we play a sport that, I'd say, the majority of us absolutely love playing... it brings a lot of joy, yet there's a lot of heartbreak with it.
"Some people are working at the same time as training and trying to be a full-time athlete, but they're also having to do a job at the same time just to make it happen."
In 2019, Australia's Dylan Alcott captured the hearts of a nation by featuring in the first nationally televised quad wheelchair final on Rod Laver Arena in front of 4,000 people, later saying that he "just wanted to see people with a disability succeeding in the mainstream".
New barriers in the sport can be broken. It is possible. But only with adequate funding and support behind it to truly thrive.
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