Raymond Moore’s much-criticized comments about women’s tennis have once again brought the debate about equal prize money in tennis front and center.
Also See: Moore Steps Down as Indian Wells CEO
On Sunday, after winning the BNP Paribas Open, Novak Djokovic made waves when he said that more prize money should go to men because statistics show that men generate more spectators.
“They fought for what they deserve, and they got it,” Djokovic said. “On the other hand, I think that our men's tennis world, ATP world, should fight for more, because the stats are showing that we have much more spectators on the men's tennis matches. I think that's one of the reasons why maybe we should get awarded more. But, again, you know, we can't complain because we also have great prize money in men's tennis is at the right moment in the right time.”
Djokovic was, in the end, calling for a system that is “fair.” It's not something that everybody agrees on.
“Listen, again, my answer to you is not yes and no,” he said. “It's women should fight for what they think they deserve and we should fight for what we think we deserve. I think as long as it's like that and there is data and stats available and information, you know, upon who attracts more attention, spectators, who sells more tickets and stuff like that, in relation to that it has to be fairly distributed.”
Serena Williams, speaking to reporters at media all-access hour at the Miami Open on Tuesday, seems to have strengthened her talking points after having a few days to mull over the issue.
“I have been playing since the age of two and it would be shocking to say my son would deserve more than my daughter,” Williams said, according to the UK Guardian. “It is irrelevant. Novak is entitled to his opinion but if he has a daughter – I think he has a son right now – he should talk to her and tell her how his son deserves more money because he is a boy.
She added: “If I have a daughter who plays tennis and also have a son that plays tennis, I wouldn’t say that my son deserves more because he is a man. If they both started at three years old I would say they both deserve the same amount of money.”
Andy Murray also threw in his two cents, going against Djokovic’s sentiments and hinting that it's too difficult to determine who the fans have come to see at events such as this week's Miami Open. “I think there should be equal pay, 100 percent, at all combined events," he said.
Here is a further snippet of what he told media on Tuesday, per Steve Brenner of the UK Guardian.
“One of the things Novak said was that if women are selling more seats and tickets they should make more but at a tournament like [the Miami Open], for example, if Serena is playing on centre court and you have a men’s match with [Sergiy] Stakhovsky playing, people are coming to watch Serena. The crowds are coming to watch the women as well. The whole thing just doesn’t stack up – it changes on a day-to day basis depending on the matches you get."