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Sabalenka Wears Designer Garnet-and-Diamond Set While Pressing Prize‑Money Demands

Her on‑court Material Good necklaces drew intense attention and renewed debate over player pay as talks with the French Tennis Federation continue.

Overview

  • On Tuesday, Sabalenka wore two Material Good necklaces and matching earrings on Court Philippe‑Chatrier and beat Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 6-2 in her French Open opener.
  • Material Good says the suite was created with more than 200 carats of garnets and about 23 carats of diamonds, but published price estimates vary widely between outlets.
  • Top players had limited media duties to 15 minutes to press the French Tennis Federation for a larger revenue share, with players seeking roughly 22 percent of tournament income rather than the current near‑15 percent.
  • Sabalenka rejected charges of hypocrisy, saying the prize‑money push is aimed at helping lower‑ranked players and is separate from her commercial partnerships.
  • Negotiations between player representatives and the FFT are ongoing, players say the change would add roughly £25 million to the prize pot (reported near £53 million total), and the jewellery and kit optics are likely to shape public and media pressure on those talks.