Swiatek urges women’s tennis chiefs to push harder for equal pay

World No 1 Iga Swiatek says she hopes the governing body of women’s tennis can do more to boost the tour in 2023 and further reduce pay disparity between the sexes outside the sport’s biggest tournaments.

Tennis has sought to be a leader in the battle for equality in the past few decades with equal prize money offered to men and women at the four Grand Slams. WTA Tour events, however, often still offer less prize money than those on the men’s tour, which operates its own circuit.

Swiatek said one of the top priorities for the tour as it celebrates its 50th anniversary should be to ensure events are more attractive for players, sponsors, organisers and fans.

“For sure, I’d like to see the WTA expanding businesswise, getting more popular, cutting the difference between WTA and ATP in terms of prize money and attracting fans,” Swiatek said in Dubai.

A report in The Financial Times said the ATP Tour as of midway in 2022 offered players 75% more prize money in tournaments — excluding the Grand Slams — than the women’s tour.

“Our tennis brings the same emotions as men’s tennis … there’s something you can find in women’s tennis that you’re not going to find on the ATP,” Swiatek said. “Right now, after a couple of years of hearing we’re not consistent, we’re actually consistent. There are top players who are playing great in most of the tournaments.”

In a move expected to cost the association hundreds of millions of dollars in broadcasting and sponsorship, the WTA suspended lucrative tournaments in China over concerns for former doubles No 1 Peng Shuai. She accused a senior Chinese government official of sexual assault in a 2021 social media post that was removed from the country’s internet. She later denied making the accusation.

American Jessica Pegula, the world No 3 and a member of the WTA player council, echoed Swiatek. “I hope we can keep pushing for equal prize money at all events, being on TV more,” Pegula said.

She pointed to the United Cup mixed team tournament earlier this season as a way to achieve that.

“We’re starting to see slowly, more of it, especially with the United Cup, the response of everyone wanting to see men and women playing on the same court, on the same team, which was really fun for us. People love to see that.”

Reuters