Mother-To-Be Naomi Osaka’s Massive $65 Million Wealth Comes to the Fore as Iga Swiatek’s Low Net Worth Questioned in Pay Disparity Row

The pay disparity between male and female sports professionals continues to pervade players’ lives. Although great strides have been made, the issue still exists in many tournaments. Recently, the pay disparity was seen from the prize money received by the winners of the Barcelona Open, Carlos Alcaraz, and the Stuttgart Open, Iga Swiatek. This disparity opened the ground for another question about the difference in overall pay between Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka, whose ranks have a huge difference.

Naomi Osaka has been out of action since the start of the year, as Osaka and her boyfriend are expecting their first child. The player announced the news in January while subsequently dropping out of the Australian Open.

Renowned journalist points out the pay-gap between Naomi Osaka and Iga Swiatek

A Twitter post by David Law, a tennis commentator, showed the pay disparity between the winner of two prominent tournaments. Carlos Alcaraz, who won the Barcelona Open, received a prize money of $477,000. Iga Swiatek, who triumphed in the Stuttgart Open, got a prize money of $104,000. A very significant pay gap which initiated several debates on social media.

However, Jon Wertheim, a tennis journalist, stated that the recent investment of CVC into the WTA could bridge the gap. He further opened the table to discuss another issue concerning the pay gap. Wertheim pointed out how the world number 315, Naomi Osaka, is earning a huge amount that Swiatek won’t see anytime soon. 

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Wertheim stated that Swiatek earned a mere 20 percent of Osaka and asked whether this situation should create similar discomfort. “In theory CVC investment will help close that gap…Meant for discussion, not argument: is there (or should there be) similar discomfort that Naomi Osaka (No.315) will make $60m and Iga Swiatek (No.1) will make 20 percent of that?” read the tweet.

However, Swiatek is not overtly focusing on the pay gap,. In an interview last year, Swiatek said how money isn’t a major motivation for her. She aims to make her money while playing on the court and understands that other players mostly earn through endorsements and brand deals. But with her consistent dominance in the sport, Swiatek is bound to bridge the gap, as she will probably bridge the gap with the prize money received from Grand Slam events.

Will Swiatek ever reach the celebrity status enjoyed by others like Osaka and Raducanu outside the tennis court? Let us know in the comments.

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