Gender pay gap in professional tennis

[Scotslaw]

thought2 on the shining example of professional tennis.
A few years ago, most major tournaments equalized the prize money for the mens and the womens competitions. This has however, in my view, created a pay gap in favour of women.

Say in a grand slam final, the match is won in straight sets... the men had to work 50% more to earns the same money as the women. If the match is won in the maximum allowable sets, the men had to work 67% more than the women to earn the same money.

The only scenario where the gap ceases to exist is where the women's match is a 3 setter (hard match) and the men's match is a 3 setter (easy match).

The gap widens to 150% for an easy women's match vs a hard men's match.

The average gap, assuming a uniform distribution of toughness of matches for both genders is 67%.

Here'a how a pay gap would work in different scenarios:
Women's sets -> Mens sets -> Gap
2 -> 3 -> 50%
2 -> 4 -> 100%
2 -> 5 -> 150%
3 -> 3 -> 0
3 -> 4 -> 33%
3 -> 5 -> 67%

I wonder when male tennis players are going to wake up to the maths and start fighting for their right to either have shorter matches or increase in pay to reflect the increased work.

[Yorkie62]

You have to remember that some female tennis players are mothers and therefore tennis is not their only job, and the 2nd job , motherhood, is unpaid. Therefore they are entitled to shorter games and more pay. simples.

[PhiltheGreek]

That's not how equality works.

[Scotslaw]

You have to remember that some female tennis players are mothers and therefore tennis is not their only job, and the 2nd job , motherhood, is unpaid. Therefore they are entitled to shorter games and more pay. simples.

We live in the 21st century, men are fathers and equally responsible for looking after their children. They are entitled to paternity time off same as women. Not so simple.

[vetran]

it was pointed out at the time.

They chose to ignore it.

[Scotslaw]

That's not how equality works.

If equality is not equal pay for equal work, what on earth is it?

[Scotslaw]

it was pointed out at the time.

They chose to ignore it.

The pay gap in favour of men was ignored for many decades. Just because something wrong is ignored, it doesn't stop being wrong.
Hopefully this won't continue being ignored for that long.

[Yorkie62]

We live in the 21st century, men are fathers and equally responsible for looking after their children. They are entitled to paternity time off same as women. Not so simple.

I was being sarcastic.

[vetran]

The pay gap in favour of men was ignored for many decades. Just because something wrong is ignored, it doesn't stop being wrong.
Hopefully this won't continue being ignored for that long.

Indeed, I was all for women's pay to reflect the value they brought to the sport.

Normally in showbiz you earn a percentage of gate money. That would be the fairest way, if you fill a stadium (regardless of gender) then you get more than someone else who doesn't.

But an hourly rate equality should be a reasonable start.

[meridian]

Gender pay gap in professional tennis

If equality is not equal pay for equal work, what on earth is it?

Equity is better, but removing the systemic barriers is best.