Happy Tuesday! The clay court season is officially underway, and tennis’s biggest stars from Jannik Sinner to Aryna Sabalenka are making headlines off the court with a bold letter demanding a greater share of Grand Slam profits.

In this week's newsletter:

• 💰 Tennis Titans Demand Their Due

• 🎾 Weekly Roundup: Italian & American Triumphs

• 🧱 Player Spotlight: Jenson Brooksby

🧠 Tennis Trivia Challenge 🧠

Think you know your tennis? Take a swing at this week’s question!

💰 Tennis Titans Demand Their Due 💰

The world's best tennis players are uniting to demand a larger share of Grand Slam profits. Twenty stars, including Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, and Coco Gauff, signed a letter addressed to the heads of all four majors. The letter, signed by the entire ATP Top 10 and all but one of the WTA Top 11 (Elena Rybakina), requests an in-person meeting during the Madrid Open. Players are calling for increased prize money, expanded welfare programs, and greater input on key decisions.

Currently, players only receive about 15% of Grand Slam revenues, far less than the approximately 50% shared in other major leagues like the NBA, NFL, and MLB, as highlighted by Casper Ruud. He also noted that while the US Open generates over $500 million, it pays players just $65-70 million. This disparity particularly impacts lower-ranked players struggling with travel expenses, coaching fees, and medical costs.

Early responses from organizers have been cautiously positive. The USTA stated it "welcomes open and direct conversations with players," while the French Tennis Federation proposed a "direct, open, and constructive meeting." This push follows the Professional Tennis Players Association's recent lawsuit against the sport’s governing bodies over alleged anti-competitive practices. While players acknowledge a perfect 50-50 split may be unrealistic, Ruud emphasized that "every percentage helps," especially for those grinding through qualifiers and early rounds.

🎾 Weekly Roundup: Italian & American Triumphs 🎾 

Italian tennis celebrated two ATP titles as Flavio Cobolli claimed his maiden trophy in Bucharest, defeating Sebastian Baez, while Luciano Darderi upset top seed Tallon Griekspoor in Marrakech. In Houston, Jenson Brooksby completed his remarkable journey from qualifier to champion to win his first career title (spotlight below).

Jessica Pegula returns to World No. 3 after capturing her eighth career title at the Charleston Open, defeating Sofia Kenin 6-3, 7-5 in the first all-American final at the tournament since 1990. Meanwhile, Colombian favorite Camila Osorio successfully defended her Copa Colsanitas title with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Polish qualifier Katarzyna Kawa, claiming her third Bogotá trophy.

ATP CEO Massimo Calvelli will step down from his position at the end of June 2025 after a five-year tenure. His resignation comes amid tennis administration turmoil, with the PTPA filing lawsuits against governing bodies and top players demanding higher Grand Slam revenue. Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi will temporarily assume both Chairman and CEO roles.

One French player was handed a lifetime ban and four others received suspensions of two to ten years as the International Tennis Integrity Agency sanctioned five athletes for match-fixing. Yannick Thivant (career high No. 590), who admitted to fixing 22 matches, received the harshest penalty along with a $75,000 fine.

American men swept the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships quarterfinals, marking the first all-American ATP quarterfinal lineup since Orlando 1991. That tournament occurred before any of the current quarterfinalists were born, with Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, and six other Americans claiming the spots.

🧱 Player Spotlight: Jenson Brooksby 🧱 

Jenson Brooksby makes a splash at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship, capturing his first ATP title with a commanding 6-4, 6-2 victory over Frances Tiafoe. The 24-year-old American entered as a wild card in qualifying and saved match points in three matches en route to the title. "It's probably the best week of my life," Brooksby said after his victory.

The win marks a major turning point after a challenging stretch in his career. Brooksby was sidelined by an 18-month suspension for missed drug tests, later reduced to 13 months on appeal. He also recently opened up about being diagnosed with autism, sharing that he was nonverbal until age four. "My desire to help others with it was bigger than any negative outcome I could have thought of," he told BBC Sport about sharing his diagnosis.

With his Houston victory, Brooksby jumps 335 ranking spots from No. 507 to No. 172 and becomes the first American male to win a title in 2025. The former World No. 33 now hopes to surpass his career high ranking, but has set one primary goal: "to have one fully healthy year where I don't have to pull out of any tournaments."

🎥 Reel of the Week 🎥