Aryna Sabalenka has reignited the ongoing debate over equal pay in tennis following her victory at the Cincinnati Masters, a conversation that has previously seen input from notable players like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
As Sabalenka enjoys a stellar 2024 season and heads into the US Open brimming with confidence, she made headlines on Monday not just for her on-court success but also for addressing the significant disparity in prize money between male and female players. Despite her tournament win over Jessica Pegula, Sabalenka took home $524,730 (£400,000), which is half of what Jannik Sinner earned for his concurrent men’s final victory, highlighting the glaring pay gap.
The 26-year-old expressed her frustration, stating: “From the TV point of view, from the ticket selling, from every point of view, it’s unfair. Of course, guys are always going to be physically stronger than women, but it doesn’t mean we’re not working as hard as they do. Women deserve to be paid an equal amount of money that men do.” With these remarks, Sabalenka adds her voice to a long-standing debate on gender pay equality in sports, previously marked by contrasting views from Djokovic and Nadal.
Back in 2016 at Indian Wells, Djokovic sparked controversy by suggesting that male players should campaign for more money, following comments from then-tournament CEO Raymond Moore, who claimed that women players “ride on the coattails of the men” and should “get on their knees and thank God” for stars like Nadal and Federer. Djokovic initially argued: “I think that our men’s tennis world, ATP world, should fight for more because the stats are showing that we have much more spectators on the men’s tennis matches. I think that’s one of the reasons why maybe we should get awarded more.” However, he quickly retracted this stance, clarifying, “I never had an issue with equality in gender or sport or other areas of life,” and expressed regret if his comments had hurt his female colleagues.
Since then, Djokovic has become a proponent of equal prize money and increased earnings for lower-ranked players, even co-founding the Professional Tennis Players Association with Vasek Pospisil in 2020.
Nadal, another prominent figure in this debate, has also voiced his opposition to equal pay. In a 2018 interview with Italian magazine Lo Donna, he compared the situation to modeling, where female models often earn more than male models due to their larger following. “In tennis, too, who gathers a larger audience earns more,” he said.
Earlier this year, during a TV interview with La Sexta, Nadal reiterated his stance, emphasizing that while men and women should have the same opportunities, prize money should reflect the revenue they generate. “I don’t want to be hypocritical and say things that are easy to say and that I don’t feel,” the 22-time major champion stated. “The investment for women should be the same as for men. The opportunities, the same. The salaries, the same? No, for what? It’s not unfair; what’s unfair is that there isn’t equal opportunity.”
Nadal added that while he supports equality, he believes it should not come in the form of equal payouts if the revenue generated is not the same. “For me, equality isn’t about giving away gifts,” Nadal said. “If Serena Williams earns more than me, I want her to earn more than me. I want equality, I want women to earn more than men if they generate more than men. What bothers me is when people tell me that income and earnings should be equal.”
In tennis, where payouts are almost equal in many events, Nadal’s comments reflect a broader discussion on how best to achieve fairness in the sport.
