• Swiatek wants WTA to further minimise gender wage disparities.
• She believes that women’s tennis brings same emotions as men’s.
• WTA should expand business-wise, get more popular.

Iga Swiatek, the current world number one, wants the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) to further minimise gender wage disparities outside of the sport’s major competitions.

Tennis awards equal prize money to men and women at the four Grand Slam tournaments, it should be emphasised.

Even still, WTA Tour competitions frequently give less in cash prizes than those on the men’s tour.

Swiatek urges WTA to make sure that tournaments are more appealing for athletes, sponsors, organisers, and spectators as the tour marks its 50th anniversary.

“For sure, I’d like to see the WTA expanding business-wise, getting more popular, cutting the difference between WTA and ATP in terms of prize money and attracting fans,” Swiatek told reporters in Dubai.

The ATP Tour, excluding the Grand Slams, paid players 75% more prize money in tournaments as of mid-last year, according to a story in The Financial Times.

“Our tennis brings the same emotions as men’s tennis … There’s something you can find in women’s tennis that you’re not going to find on the ATP,” Swiatek said.

“Right now, after a couple of years of hearing we’re not consistent, we’re actually consistent. There are top players who are playing great in most of the tournaments.”

Third-ranked player in the world and American Jessica Pegula similarly expressed a similar viewpoint while serving on the WTA player council.

“I hope we can keep pushing for equal prize money at all events, being on TV more,” Pegula said.

She cited this season’s United Cup mixed team competition as an example of how to do so.

“We’re starting to see slowly, more of it, especially with the United Cup, the response of everyone wanting to see men and women playing on the same court, on the same team, which was really fun for us. People love to see that.”

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