American star Ben Shelton has recently shared his thoughts on the ongoing disagreement between ATP and WTA players and the four major Grand Slams. Shelton will make his debut at the 2025 Nitto ATP Finals, the spot he earned after reaching the quarterfinal round of the Rolex Paris Masters.
World No. 6 Ben Shelton Expressed His Support for the Players Standing Up for Their Rights
The top WTA and ATP stars, including Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Iga Świątek, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner, are the leading figures in demanding players’ rights from the major Grand Slam tournaments.
These elite players have submitted letters to governing bodies in support of their justified requests. The players have called for improvements in three areas, including the establishment of player welfare and benefit funds to support players during the WTA and ATP Tours.
Their subsequent request is that the players’ revenue from Grand Slam tournaments should increase. The players have stated that their revenue should be increased from 16% to 22% by 2030, according to The Athletic.
Their third request is to establish a council for players to address their issues and have a greater say in the changes implemented.
Hence, during the Bjorn Borg Group Press Conference, Shelton stood in support of the players and mentioned, “Yeah. I’ve been following. I think ‘dispute’ is a strong word for sure. But for us, I know that as players, we see things that are important to us at times. And I know that as players, we’re not greedy people. We’re not looking ever for more than we feel we deserve or that we feel is fair.”
While expressing the generation’s ability to speak up for their rights, he continued, “I think that also this group of players that we have right now is always going to speak up when they see things that are out of line or a little bit off from where they should be. And I think you know that’s a situation.”
Apart from the letters, the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) is also involved in a legal dispute with the sport’s governing bodies. The association aims to give players greater influence in decision-making, with Serbian legend Novak Djokovic among its co-founders.
Shelton is in the Bjorn Borg Group, which also features Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Lorenzo Musetti. The other is Jimmy Connors’ group, which will include Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, and Alex de Minaur.