Story to follow: Majority of top 20 (no Americans) send @WTA demand letter …”tour is becoming incredibly demanding on us, creating physical and mental stresses not sustainable in the long run.” list of asks include wage guarantee Top 100 = $500k 101 to 175 =$200k 176-250 = $100k
Majority of WTA Top 20 send demand letter saying tour is 'not sustainable in the long run' and ask for wage guarantee
WTAFriday, 13 October 2023 at 23:30
Most female tennis players in the top 20 have sent letters to the WTA with demands for a fixed salary for players up to the 250th position in the rankings
According
to a report by X/formerly Twitter user Jon Wertheim, the players have come to an agreement
to request from the Association, led by Steve Simon, the possibility to ensure
a certain salary for female tennis players.
Tensions
between tennis players and the ATP and WTA organizations have been on the rise
in the past year as the challenges faced by many tennis players in making a
living from the sport have become more apparent.
Top 20 write but without American players
According
to Wertheim, athletes in the top 20 sent a letter to the WTA, although the
American female players in the top 20 did not participate in this particular
letter. Notably, players like Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, and Madison Keys, who
are currently part of the top 20, were not part of the group that sent the
letter.
The
players' demand will include that all the top 100 players should have a
guaranteed income of $500,000, those ranked 101-175 should receive $200,000,
and players ranked 176-250 should earn the minimum wage of $100,000.
Djokovic raised awareness
In fact,
the challenging situation faced by tennis players was commented on in March of
this year by Novak Djokovic, who co-founded the PTPA (Professional Tennis
Players Association) with Vasek Pospisil. This association is dedicated to
advocating for the rights of tennis players:
“According
to some statistics, we are number three or four in the world in terms of
viewership. 1.3 billion people are watching us. And yet only 400 people - men
and women - can make a living from this sport,” he said.
The
situation for female tennis players is even more challenging since, despite
equal prize money for men and women in Grand Slams, women's tournaments at the
250, 500, and 1000 levels still offer lower prize money than their male
counterparts in the same category.
Conclusion
It remains to be seen if WTA will listen to the top 20 players requests to earn a better living for their lower ranked counterparts. The initiative though is courageous and blunt.
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