Today is day five of Wimbledon. The genesis of the prestigious tournament was a fund-raiser in 1877, put on by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Women’s singles and men’s doubles were added to the burgeoning event in 1884. But not until this year will men and women receive equal prize money.
“At Wimbledon, prize money was first awarded in 1968. Men’s champion Rod Laver earned nearly $4,800 and women’s champion Billie Jean King received about $1,800,” stated Norm Chad in a June 25 story in The Commercial Appeal, “Women will cash in at Wimbledon”.
Former and current pros such as Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, John McEnroe, Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova have been vocal about the need for parity in pay for women tennis players.
Others were hostile, to the idea of change in pay for women champions. In 1992 Richard Krajicek, who became the 96 Wimbledon men’s champion, was widely quoted as saying, “Eighty percent of the top 100 women are fat pigs who don’t deserve equal pay.”
Others objected, not because they have a low opinion of women, but because men play the best three out of five sets and women play the best two out of three sets.
On April 24, The All England Club, Wimbledon announced that the men’s and ladies’ singles champions will receive £700,000 each.
Do you think this is a long-overdue victory for women athletes, or no?
