Jamie Murray says hotel for doubles players at French Open is an ‘absolute toilet’ as he hits out at cut to prize money

Jamie Murray has hit out at organisers of the French Open for cutting the prize money in the doubles at Roland Garros.

Jamie Murray reached the quarter-finals of last year's French Open with Neal Skupski. Picture: Julian Finney/Getty Images

The Scot has also fired a broadside at the standard of the accommodation for doubles players in Paris, describing the official hotel as an “absolute toilet”.

The French Open is due to begin on Sunday, later than originally planned, with Murray set to team up with Brazilian Bruno Soares in the men’s doubles.

The Grand Slam event was pushed back due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Overall prize money is down 10.53 per cent compared to 2020 but it is the doubles players who are taking a bigger hit.

Murray, 35, feels they are being treated unfairly and voiced his concerns on social media with a post aimed at the French Tennis Federation (FFT).

“On top of twice moving their event dates to suit themselves, The @FFTennis continues their ‘we don’t give a ****’ mentality by cutting the doubles prize fund by 23%.

“Thanks for actively supporting all players across the tour.

Jamie Murray playing in the French Open mixed doubles with Katerina Siniakova of Czech Republic in 2018. Picture: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

“Ps. Your official hotel for doubles players is absolute toilet.”

Singles players have always been paid more prize money their doubles counterparts but Murray is concerned that they are bearing the brunt of the cuts at Roland Garros.

This year’s men’s and women’s singles champions will each receive €1,400,000, which is 12.5 per cent down on last year.

The doubles winners will receive €244,295 per team. Last year’s doubles winners got €319,652 per team.

A singles player that loses in qualifying at the French Open, or the first two rounds of the main draw, will receive the same amount of prize money as last year.

It means that first round losers can still look forward to a €60,000 payday.

However, a doubles team that loses in the first round this year will received €11,500 between them, down from €14,950 in 2020.

Murray, a former men’s doubles champion at the Australian and US Opens, and a two-time mixed doubles champion at Wimbledon, reached the quarter-finals of last year’s men’s doubles in Paris.

Andy Murray Jamie’s younger brother, has announced he will not play in this year’s French Open. He will instead focus on preparing for the grass-court season after recovering from a groin injury.

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