Who should foot the bill for tennis players' pay rise?

As players continue to ask the Grand Slams for more prize money, the chair of the All England Club has suggested those questions would be better directed to the regular tour events.

Representatives of top 10 players met officials at Wimbledon last week to discuss increasing prize money and having a greater say in the running of the Grand Slams.

The Professional Tennis Players' Association, meanwhile, has begun legal action against the ATP Tour, the WTA Tour, the International Tennis Federation and the International Tennis Integrity Agency.

It claims prize money is artificially restricted and the 11-month season is "unsustainable".

Players have frequently pointed to the vast revenues generated by the Grand Slams, and feel they deserve a significantly larger return.

"For a lot of players, it's playing for Slams that provides the income for [financing a year on] the whole tour - so the sport needs to look at itself," Debbie Jevans, chair of the All England Club, told BBC Sport.

"Something like golf, where they earn the majority of money on the tour and less at the majors, is flipped over in tennis.

"As much as we're asked to look at ourselves, I do think the tour events need to look at themselves as well."

ATP Tour figures for 2023 show players earned 30% of their income from the Grand Slams. A total of $241.6m (£176.7m) - including prize money, performance bonuses and retirement contributions - was provided by the ATP, with an additional $104.5m (£76.5m) in Grand Slam men's prize money.

This year's PGA Tour in golf will offer more than $400m (£292.9m) in prize money - and it stages several events with bigger prize funds than any of the four majors.

Wimbledon prize money has doubled over the past 10 years to £53.5m, but players wonder why they do not make more from the £406.5m of revenue recorded in the All England Club's most recent financial statement.

Almost everyone in the sport agrees the season is too long, and the ATP is understood to be hoping to reduce it by two weeks from 2028.

This would require the tour to buy back some events from their owners - but, if successful, it could create a seven-week break for players.

"If you hear what the players have been saying about their brutal schedule, burnout, injuries - the sport needs to provide the players with a decent off season at the end of the year," Jevans added.

"Let's look at that schedule and give the players their off season.

"I'm very hopeful that over the coming years we can collectively make that happen."