Just In: Tennis World Stunned as the Sport’s Richest Star Considers a Bombshell US Open Protest Over Money, Threatening to Turn the Grand Slam Into the Center of a Major Prize-Money Revolt
Tennis star Jessica Pegula says her and other top players have yet to decide whether to launch another protest over prize money at the US Open. Pegula has been dubbed the richest tennis player in the world with a net worth tied to her sports owner parents’ massive £6.9billion fortune but that hasn’t stopped her working alongside other players to fight for a bigger share of Grand Slam revenue. After a protest took place at Wimbledon earlier this year, Pegula and others are waiting for news on the US Open purse before making a final decision on how to approach things at Flushing Meadows.
“I think going into the US Open, we’re still waiting on a prize money announcement, so we haven’t really made any big decisions,” Pegula told Front Office Sports. “They have definitely come to the table as far as wanting to change some of the stuff that’s been going on. I don’t know how much, how far they’re willing to.” The 32-year-old’s comments come after players protested at Wimbledon by limiting their media responsibilities across the first week of the Championships, with many having earlier done similar at the French Open.
Pegula, who is also a player representative on the WTA Player Council, was one of 20 stars to sign a letter addressed to organisers of all four Grand Slams in 2025 calling for increased prize money for players. The Wimbledon protests in 2026 came despite an increase for players, some of whom welcomed the rise but said it fell short of the 22 per cent of Wimbledon’s protected revenues which they were asking for.
“We’re very grateful that Wimbledon has raised the prize money, but again it’s not really answering the questions that we’ve been asking,” the American said on the Saturday before Wimbledon 2026. “I don’t know if the point is just not getting across.
The 2026 US Open is due to begin on August 30. Last year’s prize pool sat at US$90m (£65.4m) and players including Pegula and World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka are expected to speak further about their plans in private during the ongoing Cincinnati Open.
Pegula goes into the tournament at Flushing Meadows as the No.3 seed. The Buffalo-born star has previously reached the final at her home Grand Slam, losing to Sabalenka in 2024.
Sabalenka is a two-time US Open champion, having successfully defended her title last year. The Belarusian, a semi-finalist at Wimbledon on three occasions, beat Amanda Anisimova in straight sets in the final.
