One word comes to mind when I think of Wimbledon: tradition. The grass courts, all-white outfits, the serve and volley game, even the strawberries bear witness to nostalgia and customs.
But now for the first time in one hundred and twenty-three years, unequal pay checks at the world’s greatest tennis tournament will be a thing of the past and gone forever.
The All-England Lawn Tennis Club has been under pressure for decades to show a sense of equality in the winner’s purse, but they have resisted changing the tradition of separate pay scales for the men and women.
Wimbledon had been the only Grand Slam tournament to resist the WTA Tour’s plea for equality, but finally after over a hundred years of stubbornness and rigidity, they have conceded that the female contenders deserve to be paid the same amount of prize money.
Today the Chairman of the All-England Club, Tim Phillips, announced on behalf of Wimbledon that “taking into account both the overall progression and the fact that broader social factors are also relevant to the decision, they have decided that the time is right to bring this subject to a logical conclusion and eliminate the difference. We believe this positive step will be widely welcomed.”
The US Open has been paying equal prize money since 1973, the Australian Open since 2000, and Roland Garros recently adopted its new prize money policy in 2006.
Fortunately, the AELTC followed in the US Open’s policy of equal pay across the board, instead of just for the ladies champion.
Roland Garros practices partial equality and now that Wimbledon has followed in the footsteps of the US Open, France’s top star and 2006 Wimbledon defending champion Amelie Mauresmo has already renewed calls for total equality at the French Open.
“I have had many conversations with those who are running the tournament and they don’t seem to be ready yet to do that,” said Mauresmo from Dubai where she is competing at the Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open.
“But with Wimbledon making this great decision and the right decision the French Open is under a lot of pressure. It may not happen this year, but definitely in 2008 they will have to do it.”
As Chairman Phillips said, the decision has been widely welcomed. Former Wimbledon champions Billie Jean King, Maria Sharapova, and three-time champion Venus Williams have already expressed their pleasure with the new policy.
“The greatest tennis tournament in the world has reached an even greater height today,” said Williams.
“I applaud today’s decision by Wimbledon, which recognizes the value of women’s tennis. The 2007 Championships will have even greater meaning and significance to me and my fellow players.”
Wimbledon’s annoucement today was about much more than playing the best of three or best of five sets.
Regardless of the amount of time men and women spend on court, the ladies deserve equal pay checks.
They are playing the same game, on the same courts, and should receive the same respect and financial equality as the male contenders.
This is fantastic news and not before time. Women’s tennis has finally got the recognition (in terms of $’s) that it deserves.
WONDERFUL