The Canadian came out on The Players Tribune yesterday to discuss the unfortunate issues with pay equity and gender equality.
It’s unfortunate that in 2023 we still live in a world where men and women are treated based on their gender. Men still to this day depending on the sport and country make astronomically more than women.
Denis Shapovalov who has been on the ATP tour for the last six years came to that realization after beginning to date a fellow tennis player and world number 130 Mirjam Bjorklund.
“I used to be naive about tennis,” Shapovalov said. When I started out, I kind of assumed that male and female pros were treated the same way. It just made sense, you know? I mean, why would it be any different?“
He recounts how he met his girlfriend and that she opened his eyes to the harsh reality of life on the WTA tour when you are not a known player and just starting your pro career.
Bjorklund had a career year last year and for the first time qualified for a WTA 250, 500, and 1000 event, and Shapovalov knew she was on her way to being successful.
He initially thought she would at least make $7000 for making the main draw but she confirmed to him that the WTA would only pay her $1000 for making it that far.
“I was like, “What are you talking about? How is that possible??”
On the eve of International Women’s Day Shapovalov spoke about how serious and hurtful it can be to get all this success and not be fairly compensated for it.
“I’m not sure everyone realizes how damaging this is for tennis. Tomorrow is International Women’s Day, and I want to talk about the gender gap. It’s so unfair. It doesn’t make sense at all. And it matters because the expenses are crazy in tennis: You travel all year, you stay in hotels, and you pay your coaching staff. The big stars don’t have to worry about it, but many on the tour are struggling just to break even. For these players, prize money is not about getting a nice lump of extra cash. It’s about survival.
“Unfortunately, it seems that if you are a female player, your chances of surviving as a pro are a lot lower … because you are a woman”.
Shapovalov recounts how he watched his girlfriend play Daria Saville in the first round in Washington, DC, and that Saville who won the first-round match won $4,100 while an ATP player wins $14, 280 for winning their first round.
“It’s less than a third! And fine, they are different tournaments, but even if you compare it to the ATP 250s, the numbers don’t make sense. That WTA 250 in D.C. had players like Jessica Pegula, who was top 10 in the world. The champ made $33,200. This may sound like a lot, but imagine how many years of hard work you need to win a tournament like that. It’s insane. Then compare it to men’s tennis.
“I made the final of the ATP 250 in Seoul last September. As a runner-up, I got $100,000. I mean, it’s not even close!”
He spoke about the growth of the women’s tour and the work Billie Jean King did to get the WTA to where it is today but still thinks it hasn’t reached its peak yet.
“I know that tennis is by far the best major sport in the world for women in terms of the way these prizes are shared. It has grown so much over the last 30 years thanks to Billie Jean King and the formation of the WTA Players’ Council. The Slams are doing well. It’s also great that the WTA has made free hospitality mandatory and increased prize money at the Challenger tournaments. Things are definitely going in the right direction. But overall the gap is still huge.
“Maybe I’m being cynical, but I think some people might think of gender equality as mere political correctness. Deep down they don’t feel that women deserve as much, you know? And that’s terrible”.
Denis Shapoavalov is competing at Indian Wells in the California desert this week and will be the number 25 seed at the tournament.
