Record Data Sheet
THE NUMBERS
| The Expenditure | WIMBLEDON | ROLAND GARROS |
| Revenue 2025 | $545M | $430M |
| Prize money 2025 | $72.6M | $61M |
| Revenue per $1 of prize money | $7.51 | $7.05 |
| Difference | +6.5% | reference |
Almost a Dead Heat
A year ago this was not a contest. In 2024, Wimbledon returned $8.67 in revenue for every dollar it handed out in prize money. Roland Garros returned just $6.28. Twelve months later, the Paris tournament has closed most of that gap.
Roland Garros pulled in 395 million euros in 2025, a 14 percent jump in a single year. That makes it the third Grand Slam by revenue, behind only the US Open and Wimbledon, and now comfortably ahead of the Australian Open. The growth is not luck. It is the payoff on a 400 million euro infrastructure program the French federation, the FFT, has been building out since 2015: a retractable roof over the Suzanne-Lenglen court, prime-time night sessions, and a steady expansion of high-margin VIP hospitality. The money was spent years ago. The returns are arriving now.
Wimbledon’s Edge
Even with that surge, Wimbledon still wins on efficiency. And its advantage has almost nothing to do with the tennis.
It has to do with the mythology. Strawberries and cream. The all-white dress code. The grass cut to eight millimeters. None of it needs to be reinvented, and none of it costs much to maintain relative to what it returns. The BBC pays roughly 44 million pounds a year, close to 60 million dollars, for UK broadcast rights through 2027. ESPN pays an estimated 95 million dollars a year for the US through 2035. Wimbledon does not have to keep pouring money into stadiums and roofs, because the brand is already worth more than the event it hosts.
That is why every dollar of prize money turns into $7.51 of revenue. Roland Garros, after a decade of heavy capital spending, sits just 46 cents behind.
Who Actually Gets Paid
Here is the twist neither tournament wants on the front page: as revenue climbs, the players’ slice is shrinking. At Roland Garros, prize money rose 5.4 percent in 2025 while revenue jumped 14 percent. The result is that players took home 14.3 percent of what the tournament made, down from 15.5 percent a year earlier.
| ROLAND GARROS | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 (proj.) |
| Players’ share of revenue | 15.5% | 14.3% | <15% |
| Revenue | €346M | €395M | >€400M |
| Prize money rise (YoY) | reference | +5.4% | ~+10% |
Revenue up, players’ share down. The 2026 figure is the players’ own projection, not an official number.
A bloc of the sport’s biggest names, Djokovic, Sinner, Sabalenka and Gauff among them, signed collective letters demanding the Grand Slams move toward a 22 percent share, the level paid at the combined ATP and WTA 1000 events. Some floated a boycott.
Wimbledon’s books tell a stranger story. Its 2025 operating profit was about 52.7 million pounds, but roughly 48.1 million of that is contractually funneled to the Lawn Tennis Association to fund British tennis. The All England Club keeps very little. Efficiency, in other words, is not the same as profit. The $7.51 figure measures how well the machine runs, not who walks away with the cash.
The Verdict
Wimbledon wins, but barely, and the direction of travel is unmistakable. Roland Garros is closing the distance fast. If the FFT holds its current pace, the two could draw level by 2027. What looked like a comfortable win in 2024 has become, in 2025, a final that goes to a tiebreak.
Frequently Asked
Does Wimbledon make more money than Roland Garros?
Yes. Wimbledon generated about $545M in 2025 versus roughly $430M for Roland Garros. It also converts better, returning $7.51 per dollar of prize money against $7.05.
Why is Roland Garros catching up?
A 400 million euro infrastructure program since 2015 (new retractable roof, night sessions, expanded VIP hospitality) pushed revenue up 14 percent in a single year, to 395 million euros.
Which Grand Slam pays the most prize money?
In 2025 Wimbledon led the two with $72.6M, ahead of Roland Garros at about $61M. The US Open and Australian Open both pay more in absolute terms.
Could Roland Garros overtake Wimbledon?
On efficiency, possibly by 2027 if the FFT holds its growth pace. On total revenue, Wimbledon still leads clearly.
Why are tennis players unhappy with Grand Slam prize money?
Because their share of revenue is falling. At Roland Garros, prize money rose 5.4 percent in 2025 while revenue grew 14 percent, cutting the players’ cut to 14.3 percent. Top names including Djokovic, Sinner, Sabalenka and Gauff are pushing for a 22 percent share and have raised the threat of a boycott.
Does Wimbledon keep all its profit?
No. Most of it leaves the building. Of roughly 52.7 million pounds in 2025 operating profit, about 48.1 million is contractually paid to the Lawn Tennis Association to fund British tennis. High revenue efficiency does not mean the All England Club pockets the difference.
THE EXPENDITURE · Sources: AELTC Annual Report 2025 (Sports Gazette) · FFT / News Tank Sport · Sportico · ATP Tour · ESPN