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Faizan
According to Forbes magazine, eight of the world's top 10 highest-paid female athletes are tennis players. Professional female tennis players earn nearly as much as their male counterparts. The primary reason male tennis players earn more is that the Association of Tennis Professionals, which governs men's tennis, pays out more prize money than the Women's Tennis Association. Therefore, disparity in pay has more to do with negotiations with the ATP and the WTA than discrimination.
Separate and Unequal
Most of the year, the WTA and ATP tours operate separately. They have different tournament schedules. Sometimes they even host events, simultaneously, on different continents. The tours come together for grand slam matches — Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open — and a few large tournaments, including those in Miami; Indian Wells, CA; Cincinnati; and Madrid. The ATP and WTA also negotiate separate television deals. Therefore, although men and women receive equal prize money in grand slam tournaments, there is a disparity in annual earnings. Serena Williams, the 2014, No. 1 women's player, won one Grand Slam, seven titles and the WTA year-end championship. Her 2014 earnings were $9,317,298. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic, the year's No. 1 men's player, won one Grand Slam, seven titles and the ATP year-end championship. He earned $14,269,462.
Separate and Unequal
Most of the year, the WTA and ATP tours operate separately. They have different tournament schedules. Sometimes they even host events, simultaneously, on different continents. The tours come together for grand slam matches — Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open — and a few large tournaments, including those in Miami; Indian Wells, CA; Cincinnati; and Madrid. The ATP and WTA also negotiate separate television deals. Therefore, although men and women receive equal prize money in grand slam tournaments, there is a disparity in annual earnings. Serena Williams, the 2014, No. 1 women's player, won one Grand Slam, seven titles and the WTA year-end championship. Her 2014 earnings were $9,317,298. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic, the year's No. 1 men's player, won one Grand Slam, seven titles and the ATP year-end championship. He earned $14,269,462.
Posted in: Tennis
