Reigning Wimbledon men's singles champion Jannik Sinner shut down questions about a planned player protest during the first week of the 2026 Championships, telling reporters he did not want to discuss the matter.
Sinner Refuses to Discuss Protest Details
When asked about welfare concerns related to the protest, Siner quickly dismissed further inquiry. "I just think it's better if we don't discuss here. I don't like to talk about this at the moment," he said.
Pressed again on why protests were continuing despite some progress on prize money, Sinner gave little away. "Look, I think we talked enough about this at the moment. The Grand Slams know what we ask, then we see how it goes. Again, I'm here now to talk about tennis."
Background on Player Protest
A number of top players, including Sinner, have planned protests in relation to prize money at Wimbledon. The All England Club increased the total purse to £64.2 million, but this still represents only a 14.4 per cent share of revenue—short of the 22 per cent targeted by players.
Players have written to Wimbledon's leadership outlining plans to limit media commitments to 15 minutes for the first week of the Championship. In a statement, they indicated the decision was made to "reflect that Wimbledon currently pays slightly below 15 per cent of revenues to players as prize money."
Sinner's Earlier Comments on Prize Money
Earlier in the press conference, Sinner had acknowledged some improvement. "I think it's getting better, even though we are not at the point where we are 100% happy," he said. "In the same time we have seen improvement. Again, it's not about the money—not only about the money. It's the whole scenario we take into consideration with welfare and everything else. Let's see. But yeah, it's in the future."
Sinner's Wimbledon Campaign
Sinner overcame Carlos Alcaraz in four sets to win the final last year, his first men's singles triumph at SW19. He has a chance to go back-to-back with Alcaraz absent through injury.
The 24-year-old faced issues of his own at the French Open earlier this year, struggling with the heat as he lost to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round. He begins his 2026 Wimbledon campaign against Miomir Kecmanovic on Monday.
Health and Heat Concerns
Speaking about tests he underwent after Roland Garros, Sinner said: "They were general tests to see health-wise how I was, to be sure that all is okay with the body, which is. All tests were really good."
He added: "Even though we are very sure we need to practice in hotter conditions. I feel like everywhere where we play is going to be very hot. Every year is getting warmer and warmer. It is a very important topic. But at the same time I'm happy the work we're doing. We try to improve in the best possible way, then we see how it goes in the future."
