The world's leading men's tennis players are considering boycotting January's Australian Open tennis tournament over prize money.

The Sunday Times said there were rumours the ATP was considering staging an alternative tournament to the grand slam tournament in Dubai if players did not receive a higher percentage of tournament revenue.

The threat to boycott the Australian Open was to be discussed at a mandatory meeting for all ATP players in New York on the eve of the US Open, which starts on Monday.

The major issue is not the huge prize money on offer for the winners of grand slams but rather those players that exit in the early rounds.

In 2012, the Australian Open offered $20,800 to first round losers and the French Open coughed up 18,000 euros ($A21,700).

Wimbledon agreed to pay out STG14,500 ($A22,100) and the US Open will fork out $US23,000 ($A22,100).

Roger Federer is the president of the ATP players' council and reportedly ready to take up the fight for a larger slice of the pie for the players.

The 2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick said the rising costs for professional tennis players was central to the case for a pay rise.

"Compare the percentage of revenue dedicated to prize money or salaries in tennis to other sports," he said.

"At the majors our prize money is still in the teens, percentage wise, but the NBA is at a crossroads because the players earn 50% of revenue.

"I think we all feel very fortunate for what we get, but we are putting people in seats.

"The guys ranked 80 to 90 to 1,000 in the world aren't making the big bucks right now, and they're paying their own expenses, which you don't do on a professional sports team.

"That is who any action would benefit."