Alex de Minaur insists the world’s top tennis players’ push for a bigger slice of the Australian Open revenue pie is about growing the sport, as well as greater compensation.
Tennis Australia raised prize money to $111.5 million (US$74.9 million) for the current tournament, larger than last year’s French Open and Wimbledon purses, but less than the US Open.
The monster pot includes a record $4.2 million pay day for the men’s and women’s singles champions.
But it hasn’t satisfied the world’s top players and their agents, who reportedly met in Melbourne in recent days, agreeing to ramp up industrial action in pursuit of a bigger share of grand slam revenue.
Women’s world No.3 Coco Gauff also publicly warned players would raise pressure if their demands were not met.
De Minaur, the men’s world No.6, was quizzed on the situation after his comfortable first-round win over America’s Mackenzie McDonald at Melbourne Park.
“What we’re fighting for is to better our sport and ultimately for the players to be better compensated,” he said.
“Saying this, we are incredibly well-compensated as of right now. But when you look at the percentages and the differences between other sports, then of course there is room to grow.”
De Minaur also noted that boosting player remuneration would help tennis expand.
“I think that’s what we’re trying to get to ultimately, to a point where we’re all helping each other grow this beautiful sport,” he said.
“We have seen it grow over the years immensely.
“Ultimately, I think it’s going to be for the best for both the players and the tours and everyone in this sport if we all sit down in a room and we kind of find ways to keep on improving and we keep the communication going.”
Former men’s world No.1 Daniil Medvedev, now ranked 12th, echoed de Minaur’s sentiments after his first-round defeat of Jesper de Jong.
“Tennis has good money but the percentage, I think, is important from the revenue. That’s the most important,” he said.
“So I don’t know if it’s even an open number of what the percentage for us is in terms of prize money, and then should be comparable to other sports.
“So I let our teams handle this. Hopefully it will lead to more transparency between grand slams and players, because that’s going to make, I think, everyone benefit from this.”
Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley has said he is aware of the player meetings and defended the level of prize money on offer, which he claims is close to the 22 percent share of revenue that players are demanding.
