The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) is the main governing body of women’s tennis. Of late, the WTA has come up with decisions that have raised a lot of eyebrows. However, as the principal body, its main function is to look after its players but has failed them very often. This is exactly why most of the top-ranked players have come up with a proposal for them.
Players and fans alike have criticized the association for many reasons in the recent past. Elena Rybakina has been the most vocal in holding them accountable for their faults. Now it seems that most players within the top 20 have tabled a proposal, which would ensure a stable salary for the players.
Jon Wertheim, a well-known reporter on X (formerly Twitter), broke the news on the social media site. Given the discrepancy in pay between men and women in the sport, this is a noble effort. Wertheim did add that no American players or Iga Swiatek were involved in the process.
Story to follow: Majority of top 20 (no Americans) send @WTA demand letter …”tour is becoming incredibly demanding on us, creating physical and mental stresses not sustainable in the long run.” list of asks include wage guarantee
Top 100 = $500k
101 to 175 =$200k
176-250 = $100k— Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim) October 12, 2023
The proposal recommended a guaranteed minimum pay, where the top 100 players would get $500,000. The players within the 101 and 175 brackets will earn $200,000, while those between 176 and 250 bands shall receive $100,000 annually.
Given the increasing costs and hectic schedules, many lower-ranked players expressed that they could barely make ends meet. Wertheim also shared an excerpt from the letter on his account. “Tour is becoming incredibly demanding on us, creating physical and mental stresses not sustainable in the long run,” it read (via Tennis-Infinity).
As of now, the WTA has not commented on the news. However, this is a welcoming move by the players to bridge the gap in pay. At present, the Grand Slams and a few ATP/WTA 1000 events pay equally, and fans have criticized the disparity. However, there are plans to achieve equal pay at all ATP/WTA 1000 and 500 events by 2027.
Will the WTA follow the ATP’s footsteps?
The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) has promised more financial aid for its players in the upcoming season. The three-year programme, called the Baseline will go into trial in 2024.
According to the ATP, the Baseline will cover three key areas- base earnings, injury protection, and newcomer investment. This means that the ATP will provide financial aid to players if they earn below $70,000 or finish outside the top 250. Under injury protection, the ATP will aid those who have played fewer than nine ATP or Challengers tournaments. As for newcomer investment, new players who make it to the top 125, will get up to $200,000.
🚨 ATP launches ‘Baseline’, a new financial security system, to help players maintain a fair level of income:
⁃ Pillar 1 – Guaranteed Base Income – guarantees minimum income levels for the Top 250-ranked singles players each season. In case a player’s prize money earnings… pic.twitter.com/TnYnL1gWfV
— Olly 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) August 22, 2023
With the ATP’s Baseline initiative, there is already a model for the WTA. Only time will tell whether they pay heed to their players this time.