Maria Sharapova might have stopped playing tennis in 2020 but she has kept herself attached to the sport. She is still inclined to the tour and the players. Sharapova recently spoke about the prize money issue in the sport in Toronto at a gender equity conference. The former tennis player spoke about her experience on the tour and how much she has learned over the years.
Sharapova spoke about how she was unaware of the wage gap during her teenage years. Over time, she was exposed to the inequalities in the game and went on to talk about the problem. Sharapova said, “And yes,15-20 percent of the tour is equal. But where’s the rest of the 80 percent? It’s not even close to being equal.” She said that people are only focused on the grand slams and not on the smaller events in the sport.
Maria Sharapova says only 15-20% of women’s tour gets equal pay:
“Yes, 15-20 percent of the tour is equal. But where’s the rest of the 80 percent? It’s not even close to being equal. Unfortunately, those events don’t have the biggest media rights, they don’t have the visibility.… pic.twitter.com/pxfgALQ5MG
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 3, 2023
The 36-year-old went on to explain that since the smaller events lack exposure, The absence of extensive media rights has made them unknown to the outside world.
These events still have considerable gaps in prize money and will not change unless people speak about them and make each other aware. Sharapova said the situation is better than before, but a gap exists between the ATP and the WTA tours.
Maria Sharapova catches up on all the action at the US Open
Sharapova returned to the US Open, this time as a spectator. She debuted in the event in 2003 and won the title three years later. She spoke about being a spectator in the sport for a change and watching the younger generations in battle. Sharapova’s presence at the event will undoubtedly be good news for Carlos Alcaraz, who has had a crush on the player since he started playing tennis.
The five-time grand slam champion will be again seen at the US Open as she won’t be a spectator for long. Sharapova is the brand ambassador for Evian Hydration and will be making a special appearance during the men’s final. She will be the captain of the SS Evian, which has a floating tennis court that will sail up and down the Hudson River.
👋 to our 2006 champion, @MariaSharapova! pic.twitter.com/02pvHdOk2J
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 29, 2023
Sharapova also discussed becoming a mother and the changes it brought. She said she gets a lot of support from her husband and family. Sharapova still finds time between her business ventures to be involved in the sport; the sport has given her much more than titles and fame.
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