Iga Swiatek hopes WTA can do more to reduce pay disparity between men’s and women’s tours | Tennis News

Iga Swiatek said he hopes the women’s game’s governing body can do more to improve the tour in 2023 and further reduce the pay gap that exists between the men’s and women’s tours outside of the sport’s biggest tournaments.

Tennis has sought to be a leader in the fight for equality in recent decades with equal prize money for men and women at the four Grand Slams.

However, WTA Tour events still often offer lower prize money than those on the men’s tour, which operates its own circuit.

Our tennis carries the same emotions as men’s tennis. There are things you can find in women’s tennis that you won’t find in the ATP.

World No. 1 Swiatek said one of the main priorities for the tour as it celebrates its 50th anniversary is to ensure the event is more attractive to players, sponsors, organizers and fans.

“Of course, I want to see the WTA develop its business wisely, become more popular, cut the difference between the WTA and the ATP in terms of prize money and attract more fans,” Swiatek said.

A report on Financial Times said the men’s ATP Tour at midway through last year offered players 75 percent more prize money in tournaments – excluding Grand Slams – than the women’s tour.

“Our tennis brings the same emotions as men’s tennis. There is something you can find in women’s tennis that you won’t find in ATP,” said Swiatek.

“Now, after a few years of hearing, we are not consistent, we are really consistent. There are top players who play well in many tournaments.”

In a move expected to cost the association hundreds of millions of dollars in broadcasts and sponsorships, the WTA suspended the lucrative tournament in China due to concerns for former doubles No. 1 Peng Shuai.

He accused a senior Chinese government official of sexual assault in a 2021 social media post that was removed from the country’s internet. He later denied making the allegations.

American Jessica Pegula, world number 3 and a member of the WTA players’ council, echoed Swiatek’s comments.

“I hope we can continue to work towards the same prize money in all the shows, more on TV,” Pegula said.

He pointed to United’s Cup mixed team tournament earlier this season as a way to achieve that.

“We are starting to see slowly, more, especially with the United Cup, the response of everyone who wants to see men and women playing on the same field, in the same team, which is exciting for us. People like to see that.”