Tennis tournaments offering equal money to men and women on tour ft. US Open

Multiple players have spoken about the pay disparity on the WTA Tour.

It is no secret that Billie Jean King was the catalyst for the first steps towards equal pay in the world of tennis. In 1970, approximately three years before the WTA came into being, the groundwork for the WTA Tour was laid.

King and eight other female players Rosie Casals, Nancy Richey, Kerry Melville, Peaches Bartkowicz, Kristy Pigeon, Judy Dalton, Valerie Ziegenfuss and Julie Heldman- dubbed the “Original 9,” laid the foundation for the WTA Tour. The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) formally came into being on June 21, 1973, at the Gloucester Hotel in London, the week before Wimbledon.

The WTA celebrated 50 years of existence in June 2023, about two months before Coco Gauff won the US Open. When Gauff received her $3m paycheck, the same as Novak Djokovic, she acknowledged the efforts of Billie Jean King in bringing about the parity in prize money between men and women.  

The equal pay debate continues with the pay parity being limited to the Grand Slams. While the four majors have been offering equal prize money for 16 years, the other tour-level events have yet to take steps to bridge the gap. 

None of the WTA 1000 or WTA 500 events, such as the Canadian Open, the Cincinnati Open or the combined WTA 500-level in Washington, offer equal pay. Jannik Sinner, the men’s singles winner at Cincinnati, took home a $1,049,460 winner’s cheque, while Aryna Sabalenka, the woman’s singles champion at Cincinnati, was handed half of Sinner’s winnings – $523,485. 

In June, the WTA put forth a timetable for equal pay at combined WTA 500 and WTA 1000 level events by 2027 and non-combined events at the same level by 2033.   

The four Grand Slams took individual paths to ensure equal pay for the men and women who turn up to participate.

Wimbledon

Wimbledon was the last Grand Slam to bridge the pay divide 34 years after the US Open. The US Open had been on board since 1973, with Wimbledon holding out until 2007. Many felt the AELTC’s inclination for tradition went a step too far.  

When Venus Williams prevailed in the 2007 Wimbledon final over Marion Bartoli, she became the first female champion to earn on-par with Roger Federer, the winner of the men’s title. Both were awarded £700,000 ($920,000) for their efforts. 

In 1968, the first Wimbledon of the Open Era, the winner of the men’s singles took home £2000 as prize money, while the winner of the women’s singles took home £750.

French Open

The French Open ushered in equal prize money for male and female champions in 2006. On this occasion, the credit went to Venus Williams, who was the catalyst for the change when she pitched for the move in 2005. 

The men’s and women’s French Open champions each received $1.05m (€940,000) for winning the singles event in 2006. The following year, total parity was achieved across the board, with the title winners pocketing $1.10m (€1m).   

Australian Open

The Australian Open followed the lead of the US Open 11 years later, offering equal prize money in 1984. The organizers of the Melbourne-based event reverted to paying the men more in 1996 before reversing course in 2001.   

In 2001, the men’s and women’s singles champions picked up cheques worth $440,000. With that, two of the four Grand Slams had bridged the gender pay gap. Chris Evert was the first beneficiary of the decision by the Australian Open to level the prize money in 1984. Her compatriot Jennifer Capriati was the winner in 2001 when equal pay was reinstated. 

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US Open

The only North American Grand Slam, the US Open has been a pioneer for equal prize money between men and women. When Bille Jean King won the 1972 US Open, she took home $10,000, while men’s champion Ilie Nastase won $25,000.

A threat by Billie Jean King to boycott the US Open the following season ushered in equal pay at Flushing Meadows in 1973. The winners of the 1973 edition, Margaret Court and John Newcombe were awarded championship cheques of $25,000 for their respective singles championships. It was the first event in professional sports to offer equal payouts to female and male athletes.

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