The Prizes of the US Open
The US Open celebrates 50 years of equal pay
Happy Friday World,
The US Open is a staple in the tennis community, one of the four grand slams on the calendar. As the tournament begins to wind down and we head towards the championship, I wanted to look at one of the tournament’s central themes this year, its 50th anniversary of offering equal pay to both men's and women's champions.
The US Open tournament was founded in 1881 and holds the distinction of being the only grand slam not to be affected by cancellation due to World War I and II, nor interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
But more importantly, it holds the distinction of being the first sporting competition to offer equal pay to female and male competitors.
This year, the tournament is offering a record $65 million to be split amongst winners/participants at this year's event.
Total Breakdowns
Champion: $3 Million
Runner-Up: $1.5 Million
Semifinalists: $775,000
Quarterfinalists: $455,000
Round of 16: $284,000
Round of 32: $191,000
Round of 64: $123,000
Round of 128: $81,500
There is much to be said about athletes and equal pay in sports, and I am not here today to start that debate. I do find it incredibly cool how long-standing this tradition is and how the tournament has remained committed to equal pay.