“Tennis is broken. Behind the glamorous veneer that the defendants promote, players are trapped in an unfair system that exploits their talent,” said PTPA’s executive director Ahmad Nassar last month. The Novak Djokovic-led Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) had just filed a major lawsuit. Their target? The ATP, WTA, ITF, and ITIA. One of the issues at hand is pay disparity. That move sent waves through tennis. Now, top stars like Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic, and more are speaking up, asking Grand Slams to increase their share of revenue. Jessica Pegula, the new World No. 3, is among them. What did she say?
Let’s talk money. The Grand Slams do shell out big bucks, but how much exactly? The US Open in 2024 had the richest prize pot in tennis history at $75 million—a 15% jump from the previous year. Wimbledon wasn’t far behind, handing out $65 million. The Australian Open saw a 12% rise, reaching nearly $60 million. The French Open followed closely, offering around $59 million—up 7.8% from 2023.
Transitioning from numbers to action, L’Equipe first reported that a letter demanding a major revenue share increase was sent to the heads of all four Slams—Craig Tiley (AO), Stephane Morel (French Open), Sally Bolton (Wimbledon), and Lew Sherr (US Open). According to the Associated Press, the letter was dated “March 21” and featured 20 handwritten signatures from top players on both the men’s and women’s sides. Speaking at a UTS event in Nimes, World No. 6 Casper Ruud added fuel to the fire. “As a player, I don’t feel like it’s fair… If you compare with other major sports around the world, NFL, MLB, NBA, they are closer to 50 percent revenue sharing.” The numbers don’t lie. As per the PTPA, professional tennis players only get about 17.5% of the total revenue generated by the sport. Compare that to NBA athletes, who receive nearly 50%. That’s a massive gap. And it’s not sitting right with the top players anymore.
After her win at the Charleston Open, Jessica Pegula spoke about the letter and the larger movement with Tennis Channel. She said, “That was more about the Slams trying to secure higher revenue shares—revenue that would go towards prize money, considering how much money they’re making. I think there are also other things, like player welfare, but more details will probably come out in a couple of months. I’m always pushing for that kind of stuff. It’s amazing to see what Ben has done for tennis, especially in the U.S., and particularly for women. That’s awesome to hear. There’s a massive discrepancy. People often assume there’s equal prize money across the board, but it’s really only at the Slams—and maybe one or two of the 1000-level tournaments. There’s a huge drop-off between the 250s and the 500s. So just starting that trend toward better equity is huge for us. It’s amazing.”
Speaking of Ben Navarro, the father of World No. 11 Emma Navarro and owner of the Charleston Open, made a big move. His company, Credit One Bank, extended its title partnership with the tournament through 2031. Thanks to this, the Charleston Open became the first WTA 500 to offer prize money on par with ATP 500 events—well before the 2033 deadline.
Pegula walked away with $164,000 after her Charleston win. The total prize pool? $1,064,510. All WTA 500 and 1000 events are now expected to match ATP levels. From 2026, the pool will rise to around $1.15 million and continue to grow. Meanwhile, many ATP 500s already offer over $2 million. So there’s still a long way to go.
Beyond the paycheck, Pegula’s Charleston title was special for another reason—it was her first-ever clay-court win.
Jessica Pegula becomes the No.1 American woman in tennis
After losing the Miami Open final to Aryna Sabalenka just a week earlier, Jessica Pegula bounced back in style. She adjusted beautifully to the green clay in Charleston and won her second title of the year. This also marked the eighth singles title of her career. The 6-3, 7-5 victory over fellow American Sofia Kenin sealed the deal. At 31, the American finally conquered clay.
The win gave her 300 points, boosting her from No. 4 to No. 3 in the rankings, equaling her career best. It also knocked fellow American Coco Gauff to No. 4, though there’s less than 40 points between them. With that, Pegula also became the No. 1 American woman in tennis. There’s more good news. Pegula had missed last year’s entire clay season due to injury. But this year, she’s heading into Madrid, Rome, and Roland-Garros with zero points to defend. That’s a free shot to rack up more wins. And she’s leading the WTA Tour in victories this season with 25, ahead of even World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who has 23.
Jesica Pegula is making moves on and off the court. Whether it’s fighting for fair pay or collecting titles, she’s showing up. Will this movement finally push tennis toward true equality—or is it just the start of another long rally?
The post “There’s a Massive Discrepancy,” Jessica Pegula Reveals Shocking Grand Slam Realities As She Appeals for Reforms appeared first on EssentiallySports.