Novak Djokovic has dismissed suggestions he is motivated by personal greed as he once again opened up on the issue of prize money in tennis.
Djokovic has repeatedly stated that he believes tennis players are underpaid, with huge profits generated by events like Wimbledon and the US Open doesn’t reflect on the player as much as they would like.
This is a long-standing complaint of Djokovic, with the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) he supports calls for an increase in prize money.
On average, Grand Slam tournaments distribute around 15% of their total revenue to participating players, but even those who participate in the early rounds of the Grand Slam earn a lot of money from these events.
US Open chiefs responded by offering the biggest prize money in tennis history to the winner of the fourth and final 2025 Grand Slam singles champion, with both taking home a staggering $5 million this year.
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This represents a whopping 38 percent increase from 2024, with Djokovic suggesting he is happy to see progress on this issue.
“Look, it’s a step in the right direction,” said Djokovic, who has won more prize money than any player in the history of the game.
“Obviously, it’s always nice and positive to see that Grand Slam tournaments are willing to improve overall prize money for players.
“Whether this is an ideal situation for us, I think overall, I don’t think so. I think there’s still a lot of room for improvement in that sense.”
Djokovic then addressed sharpshooters who suggested his desire to increase prize money was driven by his own desire to increase his overflowing bank balance, and he rejected the accusation.
“I see in the past when I talk about this topic, people like to say, ‘Well, look at him, he wants more money for himself.’ It’s not about that,” the 24-time Grand Slam winner said.
“I’m just talking about the big picture. Few tennis players make a living from the sport in the world. It’s not something that’s been talked about enough, in my opinion.
“It is also important to understand that we live in a very commercial world. The entertainment and sports sectors are very important.
“And for the Grand Slams, they are doing very well as well. So the US Open increased the prize money. Other Grand Slams are doing that as well. But they also have bigger revenues than the previous year.
“Then there’s the inflation part, which is a completely different topic, but one that’s important to take into consideration when you’re talking about these things. Overall, it’s definitely a positive step.”
Barry Fulcher leads the Progress Tourwhich seeks to give winning opportunities to players struggling to make their way in the game and he was among those who doubted Djokovic’s feelings as he spoke on the issue of prize money.
“It’s difficult for a player at this level to make money, and that’s what we’re trying to solve with these Progress Tour events,” Fulcher told Tennis365.
“Novak is absolutely right to point out that, compared to other sports, there are so few players in the world capable of making a living from this sport.
“If you take what’s been said at face value, Novak is absolutely in on it, but I’m not convinced that’s really what the PTPA is fighting for.
“Ultimately, the players (represented by the PTPA) don’t feel like their piece of the pie is big enough compared to the revenue generated at the top of the game and I don’t disagree with that.
“It would be great to think that the PTPA is fighting the ‘good fight’ for the lower ranked players at 200, 300, 400, but I don’t think that is the motivation behind their actions.
“The talk around the breakaway tour bears witness to this: it’s not about ‘more players making more money, but rather (a few) better players making a bigger share of the revenue. That seems a bit contradictory in terms!’
“From my perspective, that’s always been the problem: we just don’t have enough players making a living from this sport, especially when you consider the amount of wealth and resources we have in this sport.
“We seem to be the only sport in the world actively trying to reduce rather than increase the number of players making a living from it. Just look at the recent debate around the distribution of singles and doubles prize money, with singles players believing that doubles players don’t deserve to make a living.
“So while I think a lot of what the PTPA is fighting for is good in principle, it would be great to understand if they are fighting for a wider distribution of money among ALL players in the sport, or just a bigger share for those at the top of the game.”
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