Entertainment
Jannik Sinner calls out grand slams for delaying welfare and prize money talks
Jannik Sinner has criticised the grand slam tournaments for failing to engage with repeated requests from the world’s top stars to discuss prize money and welfare benefits for lower-ranked players.
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Join us on WhatsAppThe Guardian has learned that detailed proposals from the world’s top 10 male and female players over alterations to prize money were rejected by the grand slam tournaments in August, while their request for a meeting to discuss their concerns at the US Open was also turned down.
However, the grand slam tournaments are understood to have told the players that they cannot hold substantive talks until a separate legal case brought by the Professional Tennis Players Association has been resolved. They also referenced ongoing negotiations over the tennis calendar and plans for a so-called Premium Tour.
Sinner expressed frustration at the refusal of grand slam tournaments to discuss welfare benefits in particular, as well as repeating the players’ call for greater prize money.
The players argue that the ratio of prize money to overall tournament income is too low at about 12% to 15% across the four grand slam tournaments, compared to 22% on the ATP and WTA tours, such as Indian Wells and the Italian Open, where male and female players earn the same prize money. At Wimbledon last year, the total prize pot of £50m was 12.3% of the Championships’ £406.5m revenue.
“We had good conversations with the grand slams at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, so it was disappointing when they said they cannot act on our proposals until other issues are resolved,” Sinner told the Guardian.
“Calendar and scheduling are important topics, but there is nothing stopping the slams from addressing player welfare benefits like pensions and healthcare right now.
“The grand slams are the biggest events and generate most of the revenue in tennis, so we are asking for a fair contribution to support all players, and for prize money that better reflects what these tournaments earn. We want to work together with the slams to find solutions that are good for everyone in tennis.”
The Guardian can also reveal details of the unsuccessful negotiations that did take place this summer, which has led to Sinner speaking out on behalf of his fellow professionals. Many of the ATP players who signed the letters, including Carlos Alcaraz who last month said that the players “are fighting to have something better” are expected to follow his lead at the Paris Masters this week.
The dispute began in March when the top 10 players on both the men’s and women’s tours sent a letter to all the grand slam tournaments demanding a greater share of the revenue at the four events. The letter also outlined frustration that the grand slams do not contribute towards player welfare benefits such as pensions, healthcare and maternity pay, whereas the ATP and WTA tours pay a combined $80m (£60m) each year. It also raised grievances over the major championships’ failure to consult on significant scheduling changes, such as Sunday starts at the Australian and US Opens, which were introduced in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
Initial talks between executives representing the grand slams and the players and their representative, Larry Scott, a former player who also served as chair and chief executive of the WTA, were held three days before the start of the French Open in May. The players were represented by Sinner, Casper Ruud and Alex de Minaur from the ATP tour, and Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Madison Keys from the WTA.
Further meetings took place between Scott and the chief executives of the grand slam tournaments at Wimbledon in July, when the players were represented by Alexander Zverev and Belinda Bencic. Although cordial, there is understood to have been some frustration from the players at the refusal of the grand slams to share financial details they requested.
The ATP and WTA tours are also understood to be unhappy at what they regard as a lack of transparency and open communication from the grand slams, despite a longstanding arrangement to cooperate over prize money.
Both Wimbledon and the US Open share purse information with the ATP and WTA Tour executive teams before it is made public, including a breakdown of prize money per round for singles, doubles and qualifying tournaments, but are given no say over the total amount. In previous years, the tours have been asked for input regarding prize money allocations by round and are usually given around 48 hours to respond before the total prize money for each round of the competition is publicly announced.
Wimbledon announced a 7% increase in prize money this year for a total a prize-money pool of £53m, but most of the uplift went to the four semi-finalists in the men’s and women’s singles, with the winners – Sinner and the women’s champion, Iga Swiatek – both receiving £3m. The increase for the rest of the main draw was 5% at a time when the UK inflation rate was 3.5% however, so the pay rise in real terms was limited.
Entertainment
Paige Spiranac’s surprising NFL fandom confession triggers heated debate over loyalty, authenticity, and fan culture
The 2026 NFL Draft starts Thursday night in Pittsburgh, and the spotlight isn’t only on prospects and front offices. Golf influencer Paige Spiranac has again found herself pulled into NFL conversation, this time for her open support of multiple teams.
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Join us on WhatsAppWith the Steelers hosting the first round, her long-standing connection to Pittsburgh has resurfaced. But it’s not just about hometown ties. Her broader fandom, which stretches beyond one franchise, continues to draw mixed reactions at a time when fan loyalty is often treated as non-negotiable.
Paige Spiranac roots for 2 NFL teams: Who are they?
Paige Spiranac has never hidden where her loyalties lie, even if they don’t fit the usual mold. She has consistently pointed to her roots while leaving space for other allegiances.
“Both my parents are from Pittsburgh so I’ve been a Steelers ..fan since the day I was born. I also love the Bills. It’s a complicated relationship…Who’s your team?” she previously asked her followers. It’s a candid admission, one that reflects personal history more than calculated fandom.
Still, the reaction has been sharp. NFL culture tends to rew ..
Entertainment
Quiet moments on the course can say a lot about what’s coming next.
Sometimes the most important work happens when nobody is really watching.
Lexi Thompson was out on the 18th green, working through her putting during a practice round ahead of the Chevron Championship in Houston.
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Join us on WhatsAppIt’s a simple scene, but it shows the kind of quiet preparation that goes into these big tournaments—getting the feel of the greens, adjusting to conditions, and building trust in every stroke.
These are the small details that can shape how a player starts when the pressure kicks in.
Entertainment
Predicting what will happen to Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson if LIV Golf collapses
It looks like LIV Golf is over.
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Join us on WhatsAppThe Saudi Public Investment Fund has reportedly decided that this league simply isn’t worth the hole it’s burning in their pocket, and they’re pulling funds at the end of 2026.
That gives them less than a year to seek new investment. While CEO Scott O’Neil seems confident, it’s going to be extremely difficult to secure funding for a league that is operating at such eye-watering losses.
So this probably pulls the curtain closed on one of the most turbulent, frustrating, confusing, and ridiculous eras in golfing history. Hopefully, we can all return to some reality after the year is over.
But there is still so much uncertainty surrounding golf’s future thanks to this. Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed saw the signs early and jumped ship, but they did that with some leverage. So what on earth is going to happen to the rest of these players who didn’t take the olive branch when it was offered to them?
Feelings will be hurt, and careers will be ended. Let’s take a look.
Jon Rahm rejoins the PGA Tour
Koepka returned to the PGA Tour under the returning member program, which saw him pay $5 million to charity, accept that he’ll receive no FedEx Cup bonus money, and agree he cannot be a sponsor exemption for the 2026 signature events.
That same deal was offered to Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. They didn’t accept it, but a similar offer will likely be handed out to them again.
If LIV Golf folds, Rahm will not hold the same leverage as Koepka did, but he is a bigger star at this stage of his career. Make no mistake, the PGA Tour will want him back immediately.
But Rahm does risk leaving himself without any options at all. Reed didn’t come straight back to the PGA Tour, so he’s spending a year on the DP World Tour first. You’d imagine Rahm would consider doing the same, but it might not be so easy for him.
Rahm is in a feud with the DP World Tour, as the only one of eight players to reject a deal which would have seen him retain his full-time membership. If Rahm agreed to play in six DP World Tour events this year, then he could have played on both LIV Golf and the tour. He did not agree.
For now, his membership is at risk. So, will it be possible for him to spend a season on the DP World Tour like Reed? Maybe not. That makes it all the more likely that Rahm will be back on the PGA Tour the moment LIV folds.
Bryson DeChambeau does YouTube full-time
With DeChambeau, I don’t think it’s as much of a done deal that he returns to the PGA Tour. Not immediately anyway.
He’s been negotiating his contract with LIV, which expires at the end of this season. During these negotiations, he’s made it very clear that he is completely willing to step away from full-time competition and be a full-time YouTuber.
DeChambeau’s channel has over two million subscribers, so he could feasibly do that with all of the money he’s making there.
He was annoyed to see LIV move to a four-day format, so he could commit himself fully to being the content king. It would be a wild thing to do, but it’s also exactly the kind of move you could see the two-time major winner making.
He could qualify for The Open Championship and the US Open, and earn enough points there to play The Masters and the PGA Championship. It’s possible.
He does seem to live for competition, so maybe YouTube won’t quite scratch the itch, but it is on the table for DeChambeau. At least for a year until his suspension expires. Out of Rahm and DeChambeau, the American is absolutely the least likely to take a deal.
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