Yardbarker
x
Staggering $270,000 disparity between Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur prize money sheds light on the timeless equality demands of WTA players

Tennis couple Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter set a benchmark for others as they won tour-level titles simultaneously last week. While de Minaur defeated Norwegian Casper Ruud in the Mexican Open final, Boulter eased past Marta Kostyuk in the San Diego final. The two players got 500 ranking points and boosted their rankings. However, there was a stark disparity in the prize money the two players earned.

To be precise, there was a difference of $270,000 in the prize money earned by de Minaur and Boulter. While the Australian ATP star won $412,555 in prize money after lifting the title in Acapulco, Boulter was awarded $142,000 in prize money for her title win in San Diego.

This big gap in the prize money was highlighted by a renowned account on X, Tennis Weekly Podcast. The page highlighted the gap and talked about the importance of equal prize money at Grand Slam tournaments.

Incredible wins for tennis couple Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter. Both win 500 level titles. Alex wins $412,555, Katie wins $142,000. Although not a like for like comparison, it's a stark reminder of the importance of equal prize money at grand slams. The page posted on X.

This post drew mixed reactions from tennis fans. While some agreed that there is a need for equal prize money across the tours, a few fans tried to break the “economics“.

Breaking the economics of prize money at tennis tournaments

The debate about prize money disparity in tennis has been there since the inception of the game. The debate has stayed for so long for its subjectiveness. There is a counter for every argument. While basic economics says that those who bring in more revenue get more money back, there is also a subjective reason behind lesser revenue for WTA Tour.

The sponsors are lured by ATP for the craze men’s tennis has among the fans. Barring a few exceptions, a men’s tennis match garners more views and gets more attention.

It is evident during the Grand Slam tournaments when the stadiums start to fill up only when there is a men’s match being played. Hence, sponsors tend to run behind the ATP.

The WTA, on the other hand, struggles to create buzz around its tournaments. Despite having top players like Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Coco Gauff, the WTA is unable to match the numbers with ATP. Such is the situation that the WTA is forced to seek help from Saudi Arabia despite so much resistance.

While Grand Slam tournaments have achieved saturation in terms of prize money disparity in tennis, the WTA is working hard to close the gap highlighted in the social media post above. The women’s tour has promised to offer equal prize money by 2033.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.