Sinner refuses to discuss prize money on eve of Wimbledon title defence
On the eve of his Wimbledon title defence, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner repeatedly declined to address the prize-money and welfare protest, insisting the Grand Slams already know the players’ demands.
Jannik Sinner prearung Wimbledon 2026 | © Giorgio Armani Classic
Jannik Sinner shut the door on the prize-money and welfare dispute that has shadowed the grass-court season, deflecting the topic twice on Friday as he prepared to begin his Wimbledon title defence against Miomir Kecmanovic on Monday.
Asked why players had not taken up Wimbledon’s offer to set up a player council to discuss welfare, the world No. 1 declined to engage. “I don’t like to talk about this at the moment,” he said. Pressed separately on whether the protest was closer to a solution or to a boycott, he was equally firm: “I think we’ve talked enough about this.”
The defending champion, who beat Carlos Alcaraz in last year’s final to become the first Italian to win the men’s singles title, would say only that progress had been made and that the Grand Slams understood the players’ position. “The Grand Slams know what we ask,” he said, before adding that he was at the All England Club to talk about tennis.
Sinner did concede the campaign extended beyond money. “It’s not only about the money,” he said, framing the dispute around player welfare and conditions rather than purse size alone.
The reticence marks a shift in tone for a movement that has run loudly through the clay and grass swing. With the protest unresolved and the year’s third Grand Slam beginning, the players’ lead figure appears unwilling to advance the argument in public, content instead to let negotiations continue away from the microphones.
Sinner opens his campaign in the same half of the draw as seven-time champion Novak Djokovic, a potential semi-final obstacle, with Alcaraz absent through a wrist injury.
