American teenage phenom Coco Gauff made a staggering $3 million in fortune after her majestic run to a maiden Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open.
Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka in three sets in Saturday's final to land a first major title on a day when the Arthur Ashe Stadium was packed to the rafters to witness the 19-year-old make history.
The crowd cheered for Gauff every step of the way before she overcame her sternest test of the fortnight to win the trophy. One of the trending topics of 2023, or any other year, has been the unshakable issue regarding equal pay between male and female tennis players.
Only at the four Grand Slams and a select Masters/WTA 1000 tournaments do they compensate players equally. The WTA, in conjunction with relevant stakeholders, is putting plans in place to circumvent the issue of pay inequity and expects female players to receive equal prize money at WTA 1000 and 500 combined events by 2027.
This year, the US Open commemorated 50 years since it became the first sporting event to offer equal prize money among the ATP and WTA players, with former women's No. 1 Billie Jean King lauded as the cornerstone behind the move in 1973.
The 2023 US Open allocated a record $65 million in prize money for the tournament, with the champions across both tours earning $3 million each. Gauff was handed a check worth that amount, the heftiest that's ever been garnered by a US Open winner, before giving a shoutout to King who was present during the trophy presentation.
Gauff's US Open earnings take her career prize money earned past the $10 million mark. She'll boast earnings in the value of $11,111,613 taking her place in the Top 60 in the list of all timers. She has also tallied $5,561,522 in prize money for the season, eclipsing Iga Swiatek in second spot.
"Thank you, Billie, for fighting for this."
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