Tennis and Gender Pay Gap: Why Are Women Still Earning Less?
Tennis and Gender Pay Gap: Why Are Women Still Earning Less?
By Edcel Panganiban August 08, 2024 00:27
One of the most important issues facing professional athletes today is that men and women play a gender pay gap difference: higher levels have especially been focused on tennis. And yet, female tennis players earn less still than male-populated peers under a magnifying glass of fairness. Here, we delve into the world of tennis to understand why there is a pay gap between male and female players, past developments in this story that bring us up until today, and how the disconnect between what males are paid and females has evolved.
Historical Perspective
The road to parity in tennis salaries has been long and rocky. Over the years, women in sports have faced several systemic constraints that put a hard cap on their earning ability. In tennis, the gulf was particularly wide when male champions more than doubled their female counterparts in 1968, accounting for 62.5% of prize money awarded.
Landmark Events
1973: The US Open paid equal prize money, the first major tournament to do so. This was a key moment in a campaign spearheaded by Billie Jean King, who said she would boycott the tournament if pay was not evened out.
2001: The Australian Open joined the chorus, as only two Grand Slams treated men and women equally in prize money.
The pivotal moment in the sport came when Wimbledon and the French Open bowed down to equal prize money in 2007. The Open Era had begun 39 years earlier, illustrating how long the slow wheels of change were in grinding down persistent gender inequities.
Cashing in was only part of the story; these milestone moments led society to appreciate more how women have advanced in sports and gave rise to a call for equal treatment.
Comparative Analysis
As much as things have improved at Grand Slam events, the disparity is even more pronounced when it comes to other tournaments. In 2023, for example, the winner of the men's Cincinnati Open (Novak Djokovic) pocketed $1.02 million, and when it came to the women's side, Coco Gauff got paid only $454,500, which is less than half what could get from her male counterpart.
Prize Money and Endorsements
Although all four Grand Slam tournaments now offer equal pay, many ATP and WTA events do not. The Italian Open paid male players £6.3 million (roughly $8.4M) and only around half that to female players in 2023
Moreover, male athletes are endorsed much more frequently and at higher rates than their female counterparts. Seven of the top 10 highest-paid female athletes are tennis players, but their aggregate earnings still fall short of that commanded by even a single one among the men.
Underlying Causes
Media Coverage
The media currently is the kingmaker and will be the broker of sponsorships. Male matches, traditionally more promoted than women's. This imbalanced representation then overflows to who gets what levels of sponsorship money.
Sponsorship Opportunities
There's a big gap between the sponsorship money they bring in. For example, the men's World Cup broadcast rights vary from $100-200 million, while its female variant only gets about $1-$10 million. This unfairness in media worth results in lesser pay for female athletes in different sports like tennis.
Tournament Structures
Tournaments are flat-out structured in a way that is uneven to begin with. In recent years, the total prize money available in ATP 250s has reliably been more than three times greater than that of WTA tournaments.
Societal Biases
Preconceived societal notions about gender in sports also play a big role in how we see female athletes. While players like Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka have become household names, illustrating the global success that is possible, old-school biases about women's sports still plague coverage and monetary opportunities for up-and-coming athletes.
Efforts Towards Equality
WTA Initiatives
WTA reveals 2027 equal prize money mandate for combined 500 and 1000 events non-combined to catch up by 2033. The project is dedicated towards a more level playing field for women in sport.
Advocacy and Awareness
More prominent players have been using their platforms to fight for change. In tennis, Coco Gauff and Ons Jabeur have both spoken out about their prize money frustrations in the WTA, with calls for systemic structural change to help combat pay inequities within the sport. These voices are a small part of the larger movement for gender equity in sports.
Future Outlook
Cultural Shifts
This slide highlights the need to change our culture as a whole to value women's sport equally. Greater exposure and backing of women's tennis will, in turn, shift opinions and boost the game further.
Strategic Reforms
Attitudinal changes in tournament structures, including the shift to equal prize money at all levels and combined events, will also help erase those gendered layers. For example, encouraging more women to move into sports media and sponsorship roles could help.
Continued Advocacy
It is very important for players, organizations, and fans to continue pushing for this. We can do our part by speaking out and demanding better so that together, we work towards a future where female athletes are celebrated no matter who they play for.
The gender pay gap in tennis is real and represents a wider problem with disparities within societal systems. We have made much progress regarding other tournaments and commercial opportunities but have yet to come across the board. Addressing these challenges will take a combination of cultural change, policy reform, and ongoing advocacy. Recognition and remuneration for the skills female athletes bring to their respective sports are necessary. Just like all types of equality only improve tennis now, into the future, and in realms well beyond sport.
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