Canadian Denis Shapovalov says the gender gap in professional tennis shouldn’t exist.
The world No. 30 in men’s tennis made the case on Tuesday for gender equality in his sport in an article published on the Players Tribune.
Shapovalov says he was motivated to champion equal pay for men and women after comparing his experience on the ATP Tour to that of his girlfriend Mirjam Bjorklund, a player on the WTA Tour.
The Richmond Hill, Ont., product recalled a conversation with Bjorklund when he assumed she would win US$7,000 for participating in the main draw of a WTA 250 tournament, the norm for an event of this size on the men’s circuit.
She explained that she would earn a fraction of that, closer to $1,000.
Shapovalov says he wanted to take a stand ahead of International Women’s Day on Wednesday.
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