John Isner, former top American men's tennis player and co-host of the popular "Nothing Major" tennis podcast, has publicly supported tennis players' campaign for a larger share of revenue from Grand Slam tournaments. Speaking to Front Office Sports, Isner praised the 15-minute media boycott at the French Open, which symbolized players’ current 15% revenue share, and emphasized that players deserve a higher cut since they are the main attraction driving tournament income. He pointed out that unlike team sports such as the NFL, NBA, and NHL where players receive about 50% of revenue thanks to collective bargaining agreements, tennis players only get around 15%, and tennis lacks a players’ union.

Isner suggested that tennis players could achieve a revenue share of 22% or more by 2030, aligning with figures seen in other professional sports like golf. Despite understanding that Grand Slam revenue supports national tennis federations, he believes the sport generates sufficient income to redistribute more prize money to players. The former pro, who earned over $22 million during his career, views the current players’ push as a necessary step toward fairer compensation.

Following the French Open protest, the player group, including stars such as Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, paused their media boycott at Wimbledon after talks with tournament officials. Wimbledon raised its prize money pool to $85.7 million in 2026, a 20% increase from the previous year, but players’ revenue share remained below 15%. Similar patterns were observed at other majors like the French Open and Australian Open, where prize money increased but player revenue share stayed stagnant or slightly decreased.

Looking ahead to the 2026 US Open, there is uncertainty about whether similar protests or boycotts will resume, especially regarding the mixed doubles event. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner reportedly contemplated boycotting the revamped competition, although this may have been an independent decision separate from the wider player group. The US Open recently announced its mixed doubles entries without Sinner, leaving the future of player activism at Grand Slams in flux as negotiations continue.