Carlos Alcaraz Admits Grand Slam Pay Fight Is ‘A Mess’ After Sending Second Letter With Coco Gauff

“I think that sport should be like this, just to be fair with the opponent, with yourself,” Carlos Alcaraz once said at Roland Garros, after a small act of sportsmanship drew praise from fans and fellow players alike. Alcaraz has always been someone who has tried to uphold the integrity of tennis, to make it fairer, transparent, and respectful to those who play it. And he keeps doing it again.

Carlos’ outlook now extends beyond the court. This summer, the Spaniard joined Coco Gauff and a host of other top players in sending a second letter to the four Grand Slams demanding clearer, fairer rules and a bigger share of tournament revenues. Dated July 30, the letter calls for raising the players’ revenue share from about 16% to 22% by 2030, bolstering pensions, health, and maternity benefits, and creating a formal player council to give athletes a real seat at the table. Alcaraz recently talked to reporters after his 6-4, 6-2 victory over Sebastian Baez at the Japan Open about how the current Grand Slam scenario is prompting the athletes to make a stand.

“I think right now, it’s a little bit a mess between everything, the ATP and the Grand Slams,” Alcaraz could be heard saying in a recent YouTube upload, when asked about the dispute, describing the current set-up with unusual bluntness. He added that players are “trying to make things better” and want a more unified system that treats competitors equitably: Essentially the same principle behind his earlier words about fairness.

Grand Slam organizers point to record prize pools as evidence of progress (the U.S. Open reached $90 million this year). But many players argue that headline figures don’t address structural sharing or long-term welfare demands. Novak Djokovic, who signed the first March letter but not the July one, underscores how even among stars, priorities can diverge.

Still, Alcaraz’s leadership shows the debate isn’t only about money. It’s about shaping tennis into a sport that reflects the values he voiced at Roland Garros: fairness, integrity, and respect for those who make it possible.

The story is developing