At top level, the tournaments are under different organisations (ATP and WTA) with the prize money effectively depending on sponsorship. At grand slams, I would argue they generate similar enough revenue to be given equal prize money. The slams come under the ITF, and then I’m fairly sure the tournaments individually set their own prize money. All this crap people sprout about 3 v 5 sets is completely irrelevant, it’s never about the length. If that were the case, Cricketers would be the highest paid atheltes in the world.
When I used to follow tennis, I remember reading up on some of this stuff. The lower level tournies on the WTA tour would have winner’s prize money of approximately 35k IIRC, with the lowest level tournament at ATP level having a winner’s cheque of upwards of 90k. However this was years ago, couldn’t tell you what the disparity is now. It’s all sponsor and publicity related, fact is men’s tour throughout the year generates a lot more interest. Below this level, you then have ITF tournaments where both men and women earn very little (i.e. below the top 100 or so players), hence you see more match fixing than at slams etc.
Anyway, just my understanding of things.
…yeah it’s a different sport away from public eye…and yet you can punt on it?
A mate of mine was on the circuit and found it difficult, but made a bit of money, knew Tomic too before he became mouthy. He went to a coaches clinic to get better at his own game (well known coach and will be nameless) favoured ‘Bernie’ quite alot. My mate said the coach taught him SFA. He did alright for himself but out of the tour now.
To come to an agreement regarding equal pay, the solution is simple;
Everyone plays nude, and the more people that tune in to either men’s or wemons first 3 sets per game over the entire tourney gets paid more In the end.
Here is a funny but true little tennis story. Playing men’s doubles, serving to the ad court. Hot summer afternoon, facing a break point, l decided to go for a little more on my fist serve. l hit the ball as hard l could, and lost my racket. A split second later my partner howled in pain. l looked up, thinking my racket had hit him, but no. l had served the ball onto the point of his elbow. l quickly looked around, but couldn’t see my Emrik anywhere. Then some court side onlookers began laughing. l quickly looked at them. They pointed to the space above me. l then looked up and saw my racket. It was still about 3 mt in the air, and l caught it when it fell back down. lt had bounced vertically off the court surface when l had lost grip of it and bounced vertically about 4 - 5 mt. Play resumed after my partner’s elbow had recovered enough. An examination of the racquet showed not a single crack in the frame, despite my best efforts to teach it how to fly. Graphite racquets were tougher than what they are using now. I only wish someone had filmed it.
What a carnt.
Nice friendly German Shepherd comes up for a hello, and gets a kick from some drunken farktard. Wish I were there to kick him in the face when he fell.
I’d like to hear one convincing argument for letting a technology company constantly record what’s happening in your home, and upload it, and use it for god knows what.
Just cos they’re called “smart”…
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