“The scheduling is super intense,” Iga Swiatek said ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, as she disapproved of the WTA enforcing the players to play in more than 20 tournaments to maintain their ranking. Both the ATP and the WTA have mandated that players play in a minimum number of tournaments or else run the risk of losing out on crucial ranking points. As a result, the tennis calendar has become more packed for players like Swiatek and Coco Gauff. Some players have called out that its taking a toll on their mental health. Amidst this, the WTA veteran Karolina Pliskova slammed female stars like Swiatek and Gauff for double standards.
Pliskova in an interview with Flashscore addressed the situation and slammed the female stars for their demand for equal pay while not wanting to play in the mandatory tournaments. “I think the situation is the same, if not better, than before. I know there was a lot of travel in the past. There was the Fed Cup three times a year, which doesn’t take as long now. Recently, an older tennis player told me that after the US Open, they went straight to the Davis Cup, which was played in five sets. And the girls? I feel like they complain all the time, but I don’t understand why. They’re also better paid than ever.”
Back during her peak days in the sport, Pliskova also had to battle a hectic tennis calendar. With the likes of Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki competing at the same time, Pliskova had to be at her best to carve a niche for herself. Back during those days, players never complained about playing in back-to-back tournaments as is the case now.
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Back when Pliskova was at her peak, only the Grand Slams offered equal pay. However, the scenario has been changing now, with the WTA 500 Charleston Open offering equal prize money next year. Additionally, more and more tournaments are set to join suit soon as the WTA plans to eradicate the gender-based pay gap. This comes after players like Swiatek have strongly vouched for this change.
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When Iga Swiatek lobbied for equal pay in WTA tournaments
The Pole has been one of the most consistent players on the WTA circuit over the past few years. She has won several tournaments but often earned less than her male counterparts. Take the example of the Cincinnati Open this year, where Swiatek won almost $0.4 million less than Carlos Alcaraz after winning the title. As a result, she has been strongly raising her voice for equal pay in tennis.
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Swiatek once said, “For sure, I’d like to see the WTA expanding business-wise, getting more popular, cutting the difference between WTA and ATP in terms of prize money and attracting fans. 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.”
Even as the Charleston Open will be the first WTA 500 tournament offering the same prize money as the ATP, it is better late than never. Do you think that all the WTA tournaments should follow suit and offer the same prize money for the female stars? Let us know your views in the comments below.