Andy Murray discussed the prize money disparity at the 2023 Citi Open in Washington, as the joint ATP and WTA 500 event highlighted the massive difference.
While ATP and WTA players compete at the same Grand Slam tournaments, and they also have shared tournaments of the 1000 series, there aren't many other joint tournaments.
The Citi Open in Washington is the only joint ATP and WTA 500 event, and as such, the huge prize money disparity was put in the spotlight, given the difference in what men and women will compete for.
While the total prize pool for men is $2,013,940, women will compete 'only' for $780,637 at the WTA 500 tournament in Washington. Andy Murray has been one of the leading voices supporting the women's side of the sport, and ahead of the tournament, he was naturally asked about the disparity.
"Yeah, so, 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."
"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, because I don't know what the, you know, like what the threshold for tournaments is, like to become a 500 on the ATP Tour, if the ATP will have their set of rules as to what levels they need to reach from a prize money perspective, and I'm sure the WTA have their own."
While the men's champion will receive $353,445 at the tournament, the women's winner at the Citi Open will receive $120,150, which is almost only a third of what the men's winner will receive.
The WTA wants to have equal prize money at WTA 1000 events by 2027, but that doesn't include joint WTA 500 event tournaments, which should achieve equality by 2033.
For Murray, the discussion is straightforward. Both men and women play the same sport, on the same courts, in front of the same fans, and because of that, he thinks they should be compensated the same.
"Yeah, like I always felt like when we're competing at the same event on the same courts, you know, that we should be playing for, you know, for the same prize money."
"But I think for it ever to become like truly equal, the WTA and the ATP are actually going to have to come together and work as one before that's the case, because I don't think it's that straightforward just now, you know, that both tours have different sponsors, different TV deals, and all of that stuff too."
"There is a few things that still need to change, but I feel like things are going in the right direction, like with the move to, you know, to this event becoming a 500 for both. Yeah, can obviously still get better."