French Open: Aryna Sabalenka Stirs Equal Pay Debate With Bold Take Hours Before Grand Finale

The struggle for equal pay in tennis is a long story. Although there has been some significant progress recently, there still remain some disparities here and there. But before talking much about this topic, one needs to mention American legend, Billie Jean King for playing a pivotal role in the fight for equal pay in women’s sports. King spearheaded the push for equal prize money at the 1973 US Open, making it the first major tournament to offer the same amount to both men and women. Following that, the “Battle of the Sexes” between her and Bobby Riggs further solidified her legacy as a pioneer of gender equality in sports. After King, we saw the Williams sisters taking up the baton. After fighting for pay equity at Wimbledon, Venus Williams became the first woman to collect an equal-sized champion’s check-in 2007. What does the current generation think about gender equity in tennis? Here’s what Aryna Sabalenka had to say.

For Sabalenka, tennis was a pure coincidence. She once revealed, “One day, my dad was just driving me somewhere in the car, and he saw tennis courts on the way. So he took me to the courts. I liked it and enjoyed it, and that’s how it was. That’s how it started.” Now, she is not only the world’s number one, but she is also a strong voice in the WTA. In a recent interview with L’Beaute, Aryna Sabalenka was asked about her plans to ensure that the prize money, especially in the Grand Slams, is the same for the WTA and ATP players.

Just a few months ago, the Top 20 men’s and women’s players urged the four Grand Slams to increase prize money, demanding a larger share of tournament revenue. While replying to the question that was thrown at her during this interview, she shed a bit of light on that, too! Aryna Sabalenka said, “First of all, we should start talking about the big difference in the percentage of revenue tennis athletes get from the tournaments compared to other sports. I think that’s not fair. Look at other sports – it’s 50/50 between athletes and organizations. I think we (WTA and ATP players) are the ones who bring the show and we deserve to be paid more. I think all the players should get together to fight for it.”

Following that, she also spoke about how she wants to be a good example for the next generation and also show them how one can overcome tough challenges in life. But is it the first time that we’ve seen her speaking on this topic? No! Even after losing the 2023 US Open to Coco Gauff, she was asked to share her thoughts on the salaries of women in comparison to men. At the time, Aryna Sabalenka stated, “We work very hard. It’s not like we’re not doing anything, and we get paid the same. I think we deserve to be paid the same.“

She also added, “The only thing I’m going to say about this is … women deserve to be paid the same as men. Because we sacrifice a lot. We work very hard. It’s not like we’re not doing anything and we get paid the same. I think we deserve to be paid the same. The level is probably different: men are stronger, but we are still working hard. I think we deserve to be paid the same. That’s all I’m going to say about that.” 

After that, during the 2024 Cincinnati Masters, Sabalenka heavily criticized the pay gap after winning the title. She had then earned nearly half than men’s tournament winner Jannik Sinner.

Interesting Fact: Jannik Sinner secured a paycheck of over $1 million for his title triumph, while it was just $523,485.

Talking about big paychecks, Aryna Sabalenka now has a chance of grabbing €2,550,000 ($2.89 million) by securing a victory against Coco Gauff at the 2025 French Open. What are her thoughts ahead of this epic battle at Roland Garros?

“I have to fight” – Aryna Sabalenka is keen to prove her mettle on clay

Currently, Aryna Sabalenka has a 5-5 record against Coco Gauff. The American has been in red-hot form on the clay swing this year. After reaching the finals in Madrid and Rome, she is now just one step away from making it to her second final at Roland Garros (after 2022). However, Sabalenka’s confidence will be sky-high after ending the four-time champion Iga Swiatek’s incredible 26-match winning streak at this tournament. 

The Belarusian is currently chasing her fourth Grand Slam singles title, and if she wins this match against Gauff, she’d become the only active player to have won the singles titles at three of the four Grand Slam events. What does she have to say before this enticing clash?

“[The semifinal] was a big match, and it felt like a final, but I know that the job is not done yet. And I have to go out there on Saturday, and I have to fight and I have to bring my best tennis, and I have to work for that title, especially if it’s going to be Coco. Almost like [my] whole life, I’ve been told [clay] is not my thing, and then I didn’t have any confidence. And in the past, I don’t know how many years, we’ve been able to develop my game so much, so I feel really comfortable on this surface and actually enjoy playing on clay. If I’ll be able to get this trophy, it’s just going to mean the world for us,” said Sabalenka in her post-match interview.

What do the tennis experts have to say about the possible winner in this epic battle? According to Lindsay Davenport, “My initial thoughts right off the bat is Sabalenka with how she’s played and trying to defend against that. Let’s wait to see what the weather brings, if the roof is closed or open on Saturday. That could be a big difference as well. Coco, the first week, the level that she played, probably not good enough to win this tournament. The level that she’s shown in the last three sets that she’s played. The third set against Keys and the two sets today, we’re talking about a much different Gauff,” Who is your pick in this mega clash, though?