Paula Badosa Bites the Dust as Controversial Take On Venus and Serena Williams’ Long-Standing Fight Infuriates Fans
“There is still a mindset that women’s tennis isn’t as valuable as men’s” – Venus Williams and Serena Williams have long rallied for equality in gender pay in the tennis world. Once Venus revealed it was always a dream for her and sister to win tournaments like Wimbledon. However, when she finally achieved her dream in 2000, she found there was a gap of £47,500 ($61,214.6) in the prize money of men’s and women’s singles champions. Since then, it has been a long battle for them, but Paula Badosa’s recent statement on the same has put the fans in outrage mode.
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As per Queen V, “Sport mirrors life and life mirrors sport.” She feels the lack of equality and equal opportunities in tennis is a “symptom of the obstacles” that women face around the world. “Sexism isn’t a women’s issue any more than racism is a Black issue,” said Venus. She strongly believes that if women do well, the family does well and so does the economy of the whole world. Like her, Serena Williams has also used her platform to champion equal pay.
She thinks, “Women have to be seen the same.” However, Spanish tennis star, Paula Badosa has a slightly different take on this issue. Badosa shared some interesting thoughts on the issue of equal pay in the tennis world in a recent interview. The 26-year-old star stated, “I have always been very clear that we are what we generate, regardless of gender.“
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Former World Number 2 Paula Badosa had some interesting thoughts on the subject of pay equity in tennis in her latest interview with @LaVanguardia
“I have always been very clear that we are what we generate, regardless of gender.” pic.twitter.com/IMtTnMA2Jk
— Myles David (@TunedIntoTennis) July 23, 2024
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She further went on to add, “Are there differences? Maybe there are, but because men’s tennis generates more than women’s. In my sport, in fact, it is much more equal than in others.” Well, her contradictory statement to that of Williams’ sisters recently flared up a fair bit of controversy among tennis fans, and here’s what the fans had to say on this issue.
Frustrated fans take a jibe at Paula Badosa for her recent statement about gender equality in tennis
During that same interview, Badosa cited an example of the fashion world to make a comparison about how she thinks it works in today’s world. “Just as in the world of fashion, for example, the opposite occurs between male and female models,” said Badosa while explaining it’s more about players getting what they generate than anything else. Reflecting on the same, a fan wrote, “The model argument is ridiculous, does she know that exceptions don’t make the rule?!”
Previously, Badosa has hailed Billie Jean King for her efforts to bring equality to the racquet sport. She once admitted that with all the efforts that have been made by those tennis greats over the years, she thinks “we are on the right track.” However, her recent statement, “It doesn’t bother me that if the best tennis players generate more, they earn it in proportion” made some fans wonder, “Does Paula Badosa ever stop talking?“
Does Paula Badosa ever stop talking
— everwhore 08/03/24 ☀️ (@klosseted) July 23, 2024
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Paula Badosa admitted there is a clear difference in the thinking about this issue among the WTA stars, but she feels, “There is a real resonance” that makes her feel “very proud“. After hearing this another fan wrote, “This makes me want to scream into a pillow.“
Even Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka have spoken about gender equality several times in their careers. The Belarusian’s recent statement “I prefer to watch men’s tennis rather than women’s tennis, I feel like there is more strategy and it’s more interesting to watch,” stirred a similar controversy in the tennis world.
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However, Swiatek has always stressed that women’s tennis brings the same emotions as men’s tennis and there are few things that fans can find only in WTA. Even Jessica Pegula has often spoken about the issue of equal prize money publicly. However according to a fan, “First Sabs then Iga now Paula..lol this generation doing all they can to dismantle generations of sacrifice and fight for equality. Don’t they understand that they’re the beneficiary of all the work + sacrifice in the name of equality?!“
The former world number 2, has won $6,612,105 in prize money in her career so far. After hearing her statement, a fan tweeted, “I mean she’s free to refuse the prize money if she feels that way. Let Tsitsipas earn the big bucks.” Share your thoughts on this burning issue in the tennis world.
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Written By
Sayantan Roy
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Tennis Tales Unleashed
Sayantan Roy is a Tennis Writer at EssentiallySports, who crafts tennis tales that not only capture the game’s essence but also reflect his creative genius. As a believer in unbiased journalism, Sayantan, a fan of both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, loves to fuse the world of such tennis rivals and present balanced copies as fan reaction pieces. Engaged in sports since college, he brings that passion to life.
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Edited By
Ripunjay Gaba
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