When the US Open announced a massive $90 million haul of prize money for this season, there was a sense of joy among the tennis players. It was an incredible 20% increase in the prize money purse as compared to last season, making the US Open the highest prize money purse across the tennis tournaments. This increase has translated across levels, right from champions to first-round losers. Additionally, with the equal-prize money policy in place, both men and women will earn the same amount for the same achievement at the tournament. Although such fair conditions were in place, American star Taylor Townsend unearthed a massive concern for the sport.

Townsend is in the form of her life and will be the favorite to win the US Open doubles title. She is currently the top-ranked player in the women’s doubles circuit and is enjoying her time out there on the court. During an interview with CLAY, Townsend was asked to comment on the equal prize money debate and the argument that men’s tennis generates more revenue than women’s tennis.

Townsend revealed in the interview with CLAY, “I understand that argument from a TV and viewership perspective. But women’s tennis is one of the highest-grossing women’s sports globally. It has a huge fan base and global reach. It’s a different market from other women’s sports. Sure, it may not always generate the same revenue as the men’s game, but we have to look at the structure too. Outside the Grand Slams, men play best-of-three sets just like us. Only four tournaments a year are best-of-five.”

Further, she added, “So when people say, “We play more,” that only applies to those four events. From a business standpoint, yes, comparisons can be made. But what women’s tennis brings is incredible — the viewership, the fans, the support. And the WTA is working hard to keep building that. It’s always going to be a conversation — people on both sides, and some in the middle. As a player, I just feel that if we’re playing the same amount of tennis, in the same conditions, at the same venues, things should be more balanced.”

Meanwhile, Townsend is playing non-stop tennis of late. She participated in both the Citi Open as well as the National Bank Open and is also playing in Cincinnati. Ahead of the US Open, she made a big revelation about the hectic schedule.

Concern for Taylor Townsend before the US Open?

Although Townsend wants to take full advantage of her peak form, playing week in and week out, the American star doesn’t want to run the risk of injury before the US Open. However, with the tournaments coming up thick and fast, Townsend is left with no option but to play in those events. However, Townsend made her feelings felt about the hectic schedule of late.

She said, “It’s not just the playing schedule — it’s also the travel, the constant changes in location, the surface shifts, the ball changes. We’re always adjusting. And the people making the rules don’t go through that. Yet we’re expected to perform at our best every single week. At the end of the day, we’re human beings — not robots.”

Interestingly, Townsend is playing in both the singles as well as the doubles in Cincinnati. It remains to be seen how Townsend performs in the coming days, with some big matches to follow.