World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has faced more heat from the media than from her opponents at the 2026 French Open so far. After calling for a bigger slice of Grand Slam revenue—and even hinting at a potential player boycott—the Belarusian star found herself on the defensive in a post-match press conference on Tuesday.
Following her first-round win over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, a reporter asked Sabalenka if she saw any hypocrisy in demanding more prize money while sporting expensive diamonds on the court. The question drew immediate backlash from fans and players alike, who accused the journalist of missing the point entirely.
“I’ve seen a few people making a comparison between you calling for extra prize money and then wearing the very expensive diamonds,” the reporter said. “Do you see in any way how that could be seen as possibly hypocritical?”
Sabalenka didn’t flinch. She calmly explained that her fight for increased revenue has nothing to do with her own bank account. “I don’t really see how it can be possible to like cross these two completely different worlds,” she said. “Prize money is not about me at all. It’s just fighting for lower ranked players who are really struggling to survive in this tennis world.”
The three-time Grand Slam champion emphasized that she and other top stars are advocating for a fairer revenue split—currently just 14.9% of Roland Garros revenue goes to players—and for the next generation of athletes. “Everyone knows that I’m okay,” Sabalenka added. “We are fighting for a fair percentage of the revenue and also for the lower ranked players, players coming back after injuries, next generation to be more comfortable coming into the top 10. So it’s not about me.”
Fans quickly rallied behind Sabalenka on social media. One commenter pointed out that male players also wear expensive watches and jewelry on court, calling the question “crazy.” Another fan applauded Sabalenka for “cooking” the reporter, while a third noted that she and stars like Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner are fighting for players outside the world’s top 100 who “barely make enough money to live on.”
The incident echoes broader tensions between players and tournament organizers. Earlier this week, tennis stars staged a media boycott at the French Open over the revenue split, signaling that players are serious about demanding change.
Sabalenka’s response also drew comparisons to other recent media missteps in sports. NASCAR reporters faced similar backlash for tone-deaf questions after Kyle Busch’s death, highlighting a pattern of journalists missing the mark.
Sabalenka will face French wild card Elsa Jacquemot in the second round later this week, and fans expect the crowd to be firmly behind the home favorite. But after Tuesday’s exchange, it’s clear that the world No. 1 isn’t backing down from her fight for fair pay—or from calling out reporters who try to twist her message.
