By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Sunday, July 30, 2023
Andy Murray shouldn’t be solely a serious champion, he is championed equality for years.
Murray, whose mom Judy Murray was his unique coach, is likely one of the few high male gamers to have labored with a feminine coach, Hall of Famer Amelie Mauresmo.
Meeting the media at this time in Washington, DC, Murray was requested to deal with the prize cash disparity on the Mubadala Citi DC Open.
Though it is a 500-level event for each the ATP and WTA Tours, the Washington DC males’s champion will obtain $353,445 whereas the ladies’s winner will money a champion’s examine of $120,150.
Overall, the Mubadala Citi DC Open’s whole males’s monetary dedication is $2,178,980, whereas the whole girls’s monetary dedication is $780,637.
Murray, who has lengthy advocated equal pay for women and men in tennis, stated uniting the ATP and WTA as one professional circuit would be the equalizer.
“I’m totally behind equal prize money, and I think that it is brilliant that a lot of the tournaments on the tour that we have that, and I think that’s really, really positive,” Murray instructed the media in Washinton, DC at this time. “I think it is difficult for it ever to become truly equal until the ATP and the WTA sort of actually combine and work together.
“That’s my feeling, as a result of I do not know what the, you recognize, like what the edge for tournaments is, prefer to turn out to be a 500 on the ATP Tour, if the ATP could have their algorithm as to what ranges they should attain from a prize cash perspective, and I’m positive the WTA have their very own.”
The two-time Olympic gold-medal champion supports equal prize money, particularly when men and women are playing at the same event, but doesn’t envision it completely happening until there is one true unified tour.
“Yeah, like I at all times felt like after we’re competing on the identical occasion on the identical courts, you recognize, that we needs to be taking part in for a similar prize cash,” Murray said. “But I believe for it ever to turn out to be like actually equal, the WTA and the ATP are literally going to have to come back collectively and work as one earlier than that is the case, as a result of I do not suppose it is that easy simply now that each excursions have completely different sponsors, completely different TV offers, and all of that stuff too.”
Grand Slam champions starting from Billie Jean King to John McEnroe to Chrissie Evert to Roger Federer have supported a mixed tour with McEnroe telling Tennis Now he believes it isn’t solely inevitable, however will develop tennis when it occurs. ATP Chief Andrea Gaudenzi has additionally advocated for a merger.
Back in 2020, Federer famously known as on the ATP and WTA Tours to affix forces as one unified governing physique to strengthen the game after the pandemic.
In response to a tweet from @FedererMilitary, who wrote “I would love for the ATP and WTA to merge”, Federer concurred stating a mixed Tour would create readability and get rid of confusion for followers, the Swiss famous person concurred.
I agree with you, It’s too complicated for the followers when there are completely different rating programs, completely different logos, completely different web sites, completely different event classes. https://t.co/zX4XTr9Rr0
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) April 22, 2020
It most likely ought to have occurred a very long time in the past, however perhaps now could be actually the time.
These are powerful instances in each sport and we will come out of this with 2 weakened our bodies or 1 stronger physique. https://t.co/30SbbAla5g— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) April 22, 2020
“I agree with you,” Federer replied. “It’s too confusing for the fans when there are different ranking systems, different logos, different websites, different tournament categories.
It probably should have happened a long time ago, but may now is really the time.”
Photo credit score: @QueensClub
Content Source: www.tennisnow.com