Pay inequality in sports has become a major debate over the past few years and it reignited this week when it was revealed that the winners of the latest ATP1000 were paid radically different amounts despite competing in the same tournament in front of the same crowd and playing the same number of sets all week.
As tennis commentator Myles David pointed out on Twitter, Novak Djokovic received more than $1 million for winning this weekend’s Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, Ohio. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff was paid less than $500,000 for winning the women’s version of the exact same event. This was also true in doubles, where the men’s doubles champions were paid more than double what the women’s champions earned.
“Novak Djokovic will receive $1,019,335 for winning the ATP1000 event in Cincinnati
Coco Gauff will receive $454,500 for winning the WTA1000 event in Cincinnati
They played at the same venue all week
They played best of 3 sets all week
They will not get paid the same,” David wrote on Twitter.
The men’s doubles winners M. GONZALEZ & A. MOLTENI took home $312,740 as a pair
The women’s doubles winner T. TOWNSEND & A. PARKS took home $133,840 as a pair
— Myles David (@TunedIntoTennis) August 21, 2023
“The men’s doubles winners M. GONZALEZ & A. MOLTENI took home $312,740 as a pair
The women’s doubles winner T. TOWNSEND & A. PARKS took home $133,840 as a pair,” David said in a tweet.
And unlike many sports, tickets are not sold to individual matches but to the event as a whole. And in many cases, the crowd choosing to watch the women’s matches outdrew the crowd watching the men’s matches.
This pay inequality led to some outrage from sports fans.
Thank you for posting this, I guess a lot of people on this thread have obviously never been to a tournament, because they don't realize that they have day & night sessions and people don't pay for individual matches, you don't pay more for men's matches at joint tournaments !
— D-Sense (@BigD2372) August 21, 2023
Oh the misogynists about to come foaming at the mouth about this https://t.co/0eeGyWONH0
— Petty Crocker 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 (@MakeItWayne151) August 21, 2023
people going “but how many people were watching?” as if the stadium wasn’t just as full for the women’s final like let’s be serious it’s just misogyny https://t.co/HYXzhPVSNY
— val (@visceralfeel) August 21, 2023
https://twitter.com/kamogelo84/status/1693582000974696551?s=20
This is totally unacceptable! https://t.co/CB9aJ8fmwE
— BadToss (@BadToss) August 21, 2023
This has been going on for long enough. It needs to stop. https://t.co/A2QDLwt35l
— ElonSucks (@LiferCEO) August 21, 2023
We’ll have to see if this changes one day.
