The next generation of players has taken over the reins in women’s tennis. The likes of Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff have dominated the WTA tour over the past few years. Shining at a young age, they have achieved the peak of their career early. Recently, Forbes released a list of the world’s highest-paid female athletes in 2023. World Number 1, Swiatek, is dominating not just the tennis world but also the sporting world. And she has pipped her rival, Gauff, by a huge margin.
The Polish star has had a successful 2023 season that saw her win the French Open and the WTA Finals among other titles. As a result, she had a windfall as far as the prize money was concerned. Let’s dive into the figures.
Iga Swiatek trumps Coco Gauff in earnings
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Hours ago, Forbes released the list of the highest-paid women athletes in the world this year. And there were no surprises at the top as Swiatek, who has had a brilliant 2023 season, was the highest-paid female athlete in 2023. At just 22, the 4-time Grand Slam champion has added another feather to her cap, taking home a massive sum of money.
Swiatek earned a whopping $23.9 Million across the year. It included $9.9 Million as on-court earnings that she earned with her amazing performances across the tournaments. Additionally, she is one of the best marketable players and earned $14 Million through brand endorsements and sponsorships.
On the other hand, Swiatek’s rival, Gauff, managed to earn $6.7 Million as prize money in tennis. The massive difference of $3.2 Million shows Swiatek’s ultimate triumph over Gauff. The latter managed to earn an overall sum of $21.7 Million in 2023. She was placed third on the list behind Swiatek and Eileen Gu.
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Despite Swiatek earning a massive sum and being the highest-paid woman athlete, there exists a big gap with her male counterparts. As a result, she slammed the gender-based pay gap that exists even today.
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Swiatek is not happy with the pay disparity
Earlier this year, Swiatek raised the issue of the gender-based pay gap at the Stuttgart Open. Swiatek earned 100,000 euros after winning the tournament. However, the prize money of 475,000 euros earned by Carlos Alcaraz overshadowed the Polish star’s feat. As a result, she raised this issue during an interview.
She said, “But still, there is a lot we can work on in terms of, you know, getting equal prize money on some WTA tournament compared to ATP on the same level.”
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It is about time the tennis bodies look into this grave matter and eradicate gender-based pay disparity. While Grand Slams have solved this issue, other tennis tournaments should follow suit quickly which will ensure a greater rise of women’s tennis.
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