ROME (AP) — Italian Open organizers are supporting tennis players who are urging a boycott unless the Grand Slam tournaments improve their prize money.
Angelo Binaghi, the president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, is also campaigning to turn the Rome event into a fifth Grand Slam.
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China's Qinwen Zheng reacts as she plays Hungary's Anna Bondar, at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)
Italy's Jannik Sinner returns the ball to France's Arthur Fils during their men's singles semifinal match at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, returns the ball to Hailey Baptiste, of the United States, during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Jannik Sinner of Italy returns the ball to Rafael Jodar of Spain during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Pablo Garcia)
The players have targeted the coming French Open for reducing players' share of revenue to an alleged 14.3% — compared to the 22% at ATP and WTA events like the Italian Open this week.
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff were among players this week threatening a boycott of the Slams if they don’t start receiving more compensation.
“The players have our full support,” Binaghi said. “It’s scandalous that we’re required by the ATP to share a bigger cut of the revenues with the players and the four Grand Slams hand out a smaller cut.
“It’s shameful and creates competitive disparities, too, because the four nations (that organize the Slams) have a huge amount of money to invest in their technical sectors that other nations don’t have,” Binaghi added. “I want to blow apart this monopoly.”
It should be noted that the Italian Open has offered less prize money for women than men for years. The total men's prize money this year in Rome is $9.6 million while the women's prize money is $8.3 million.
But next week the women's champion in Rome will earn 1.055 million euros — slightly more than the 1.007 million euros handed out to the men's winner.
For more than a year, Binaghi has been campaigning to turn the Italian Open into a fifth Grand Slam alongside the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open — upending a century of tennis history.
With Jannik Sinner dominating at No. 1 and three other Italians in the men's top 20 rankings — No. 10 Lorenzo Musetti; No. 12 Flavio Cobolli and No. 20 Luciano Darderi — Italian tennis is booming.
Italy has won the Davis Cup for three straight years and the Billie Jean King Cup — the women’s team event — for the last two years.
So Binaghi, who took over the federation a quarter century ago when it was nearly bankrupt, wants to take advantage of the boom for his Grand Slam dream.
“We’re experiencing a stretch of tennis in Italy that will be tough to repeat, because it also needs to be considered in comparison with the Italian soccer debacle," Binaghi said, referring to how Italy failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.
Besides tradition and scheduling issues, Binaghi faces another major obstacle toward making the Italian Open bigger: There’s little room for expansion at the Foro Italico.
“We’re open to organizing a (fifth Grand Slam) anywhere in Italy — on any surface,” Binaghi said.
Work on a retractable roof for Campo Centrale is slated to start immediately after this year’s Italian Open and be ready for the 2028 edition.
Capacity for the revised stadium will increase from 10,500 to 12,400.
The Italian Open is hoping to pass 400,000 ticket sales this year, while the French Open last year had a total attendance of nearly 700,000.
“If we’re going to aim big, we shouldn’t focus exclusively on the Foro Italico, because there are a lot of issues here in terms of transport and temporary venues,” Binaghi said.
So would Binaghi be willing to move the tournament away from the Foro and its statue-lined courts?
“These days, the beauty factor is just added value; it’s not decisive,” he said. “The people don’t come to see the statues anymore. They come to see Sinner, Musetti, (Jasmine) Paolini and the other Italian players.”
The Italian Open wanted to add a mixed doubles tournament this year on the weekend before the singles events start but ATP and WTA rules wouldn’t allow it because the Madrid Open ends those days.
While Jasmine Paolini earned Italy the titles in both women’s singles and doubles (with partner Sara Errani) last year, Sinner is an overwhelming favorite this year to become the first Italian man to win at the Foro since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago.
Apart from the Olympics, the Italian Open and French Open are the only big titles in tennis that Sinner hasn’t won and his top rival, Carlos Alcaraz, is out of both tournaments due to a right wrist injury.
Binaghi said if Sinner raises the trophies in Rome and Paris, “maybe I should step down.
“If it happens,” Binaghi said of Sinner winning those two titles, “we’ll take stock of all the opportune and logical consequences.”
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
China's Qinwen Zheng reacts as she plays Hungary's Anna Bondar, at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)
Italy's Jannik Sinner returns the ball to France's Arthur Fils during their men's singles semifinal match at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, returns the ball to Hailey Baptiste, of the United States, during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Jannik Sinner of Italy returns the ball to Rafael Jodar of Spain during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Pablo Garcia)
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City’s official World Cup guide lists no less than 100 free places to take in soccer’s biggest tournament on big screens. One place that isn’t listed? The city’s notorious Rikers Island jail complex, better known for its overcrowding and violence than for hosting social events.
More than 100 inmates were rewarded with a special viewing of the World Cup semifinal match Wednesday between England and Argentina because of their model behavior behind bars.
The inmates, dressed in tan uniforms, took seats at tables facing a large projection screen set up in a gymnasium. The jail has hosted about 90 such watch parties since the tournament kicked off last month, with about 4,500 of the roughly 6,600 inmates incarcerated on the 400-acre island participating, correction officials said.
“Programs like this equal safety in our jail,” said Stanley Richards, the city’s correction commissioner and a former Rikers inmate. “What we say to them is that your humanity is seen, heard and valued.”
The scene Wednesday was in sharp contrast to complaints about Rikers Island that have been so bad in recent years that a federal judge appointed an outside manager to help improve the facility.
On Tuesday, that federal overseer, former Vermont Department of Corrections head Nicholas Deml, submitted a plan for reforms that underscored the continued dysfunction at the facility, which opened in 1935.
The report described one instance when inspectors arrived at a housing unit to find it filled with smoke from fires set by prisoners, blaring alarms and people pounding on their cell doors. In another incident, prisoners streamed through an unsecured door and brawled after a guard abandoned his post.
“Violence remains pervasive, basic correctional practices remain unreliable, and unconstitutional conditions persist,” the report said.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has vowed to honor a 2019 city law mandating the closure of Rikers, paid a short visit to Wednesday’s watch party.
With his white shirt sleeves rolled up, the Democrat took a seat at a table and immediately started chatting about the tournament.
One of the inmates said he expected Argentina to prevail over England and go on to face Spain, which had defeated France the day earlier.
“You never know,” said Mamdani, a professed Morocco fan.
At another table, an inmate told the mayor he was going home later in the day. “That’s amazing,” Mamdani said, patting his back.
The jailhouse crowd erupted in a mix of groans and cheers as England struck first with a goal early in the second half.
Ralph Veal was among the minority of England fans who raised his arms in celebration as Argentina supporters grimaced and looked away dejectedly. The 53-year-old Mount Vernon resident, who has been incarcerated since November, said he’s rooting for England because it’s his 20-year-old son’s favorite team.
“I’m sitting at the table with Argentina fans, but it’s all right,” Veal said shortly before the England goal. “The energy is real positive in here.”
Victor Caldas was among the legion of Argentina fans who jumped out of their seats hugging and clapping and banging the tables as the team took a decisive 2-1 lead in stoppage time, and then went on to win a spot against Spain in the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday.
The 39-year-old, who has been incarcerated for four months, has been rooting for Argentina since his home country of Ecuador was knocked out of the tournament.
Caldas said he appreciated being able to watch the game uninterrupted among fellow soccer fans and not having to compete with other inmates for use of the television in his housing unit.
Thomas McCoy was among those simply relishing a rare treat: a catered meal. The buffet spread included salad greens, salmon, penne alla vodka and chicken parmesan, along with Snapple drinks.
“It’s not a sports club, we can’t get our drinks on and stuff like that. That’s OK though,” said the 52-year-old Brooklyn resident. “I’ve been locked up 21 months, so it’s been a long time since I had real food like that. It was a wonderful experience.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks with inmates on Rikers Island as they watch the World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and Argentina on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Rikers Island inmate Ralph Veal celebrates as England scores during the World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and Argentina, at the jail complex in New York, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Rikers Island inmate Ralph Veal celebrates an English goal with a corrections officer during the World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and Argentina, at the jail complex in New York, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Rikers Island inmate Victor Caldas, an Argentina fan, reacts during the World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and Argentina, at the jail complex in New York, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Rikers Island inmates watch the World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and Argentina, at the jail complex in New York, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks with Rikers Island inmates as they watch the World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and Argentina, at the jail complex in New York, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Rikers Island inmates react as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, not pictured, leaves the jail complex during a World Cup semifinal soccer match watch party for the game between England and Argentina, in New York, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks with Rikers Island inmates as they watch the World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and Argentina, at the jail complex in New York, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Rikers Island inmates watch the World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and Argentina, at the jail complex in New York, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Rikers Island inmates react as they watch the World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and Argentina, at the jail complex in New York, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
