Thursday 24 May 2018 14:26, UK
Roger Federer believes players are being forced to "put in the effort" when it comes to revenue share from Grand Slams and says the agreement in place "has run its course".
The topic of prize money has hit the headlines at the season's opening Grand Slam in Melbourne after media reports said Novak Djokovic, president of the ATP player council, proposed to form a separate player's union during the annual players' meeting last Friday on the eve of the tournament.
Federer was the president of the player council in 2012 when there was talk of a boycott if the majors failed to take action of the issue before significant increases across the board were made, particularly for players losing in the early rounds.
First-round losers this week will take home 60,000 Australian dollars (£34,500) while the winners of the men's and women's singles titles will both earn four million dollars (£2.3m) but the 19-time Grand Slam champion argues they deserve greater financial reward.
We had a good agreement, in my opinion, that made the grand slams happy and the players pretty happy. It seems like that has run its course.
"Yes, they could definitely pay more, no doubt about it," Federer said. "They know that. We're not partners. We're just players. It's always hard to rally.
"We had a good agreement, in my opinion, that made the grand slams happy and the players pretty happy. It seems like that has run its course.
"The moment that happens, there's not the same increases any more so players have to rally, get back together again, put in the effort. The grand slams know that.
"They will only react when we do so. We're ready to do it. It's going to be the same process over and over again."
Federer, the defending champion at Melbourne Park, describes the fight for improved prize money as "boring" and a "never-ending story".
He said: "It's a bit boring, to be honest, always having to ask for stuff. If you look at the revenue, the sharing process, it's not quite where it's supposed to be.
"But you can't go from here to right there in a day. We know that. We just hope they realise and they do appreciate us maybe more all the time and not just in waves.
"We have good contacts with the slams. It's all good. But it's going to be a never-ending story."
The 36-year-old insists it is vital players continue to discuss their concerns despite the difficulty of meeting on a regular basis throughout the season.
"I think what's good is that all the players are talking to one another," Federer added. "When the players don't talk, nothing gets done.
"It's not something we can do every day. We don't have the players in the same room at all times. We've just got to make a conscious effort to get together and talk to one another."
