​  Wimbledon organizers are “surprised and disappointed” that leading players will limit their media availability at this year’s Championships in their dispute over prize money at the grand slams.The All England Club had announced earlier this month the prize pot for this year’s tournament had been increased by 20%, after players had protested at the French Open by limiting their pre-tournament media commitments to 15 minutes.But it has been reported the players will repeat this protest in London this weekend and also limit post-match interviews to 15 minutes during the first week of the Championships, which get under way on Monday.A spokesperson for the All England Club told the Press Association on Wednesday: “We are surprised and disappointed by this action.“Wimbledon puts the players at the heart of all our decisions and we invest significantly in them every year. This year’s total prize money fund has increased by 20% … which is the largest increase in our event’s history.“This is alongside investing hundreds of millions of pounds in upgrades to our player facilities as part of a three-year transformation to create a world class player performance environment.”Representatives for players from the ATP and WTA Tours had described Wimbledon’s prize money increase at the time as “a genuine and significant step forward” and “a meaningful signal of intent” but insisted significant issues remain unresolved.They argue the current prize money represents 14.4% of projected revenues for the Championships, which is still below the 14.9% figure allocated in 2015.The players had proposed the amount be raised to 16% as “a meaningful interim step” towards their calls for it to be lifted to 22% – in line with leading tour events – by 2030.Wimbledon organizers have branded that percentage unrealistic because of the greater responsibility they bear to invest in facilities and the wider game, unlike other tour events.It is understood the All England Club had agreed to talk to the players’ representative after this year’s tournament to address all their concerns.The players’ representatives have been contacted for comment.      ​Read More