"They can't afford it" - Mouratoglou Unveils the Harsh Reality of Pay Disparity

"They can't afford it" - Mouratoglou Unveils the Harsh Reality of Pay Disparity

by Evita Mueller

Last updated

Pay disparity in sports is a very hot topic because on its basis it is unfair because people should earn the same amount for the same job.

In sports, women should earn the same amount men do but the way economy is structured doesn't allow for this to happen. At least not until women's tennis brings in as much money as men's tennis does, according to Partick Mouratoglou.

Mouratoglou tackled the controversial issue by simply pointing out that most smaller WTA events can't afford to pay as much prize money as the men's event can because they don't earn enough.

I think we all would like men and women to be paid the same. The thing that people need to understand is that you have two entities – you have the ATP and you have the WTA. ATP makes a certain amount in terms of business and WTA makes a certain amount. The amount the ATP makes is much much much bigger than the amount the WTA makes.

Mouratoglou on pay disparity

Based on the Frenchman's explanation, the amount you earn is directly correlated with the amount of value you create. Movie stars earn millions because their work produces millions in revenue. Unfortunately, a doctor doesn't make millions because their work doesn't produce million for the employer, despite an invaluable effect on people's lives.

In tennis on the ATP & WTA Tours, there are quite a few events where the prize money on offer is equal, such as the ongoing Indian Wells, which is a step in the right direction but it's unlikely to happen in smaller events anytime soon.

The TV rights sometimes it’s on the same event it’s ten times more for men than for women; ten times more. Even if the WTA would want to pay women player the same amount as ATP would pay men player I don’t think they would be able to do it. They can’t afford it.

Mouratoglou thinks a good way to make sure they do get equal prize money is to merge the ATP and WTA which has been a topic of discussion for a few years.

To consider that women should be paid the same percentage as men makes sense. And this would be an equal way to treat both. We can also say that it was in the plans to merge ATP and WTA. It would become possible to pay men and women the same amount and until they are merged I don’t think it will be possible because just WTA doesn’t have enough money to pay women as much as men,"

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