Equal Prize Money Recognized as Greatest Moment in Women's Sport
Billies Awards honor successful campaign and historic decision to grant equality at Wimbledon and Roland Garros
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04/15/08 - Los Angeles--The achievement of equal prize money for women at all four Grand Slam tennis events won the award for Greatest Sporting Moment of 2007 at the glittering annual Billies awards held in Los Angeles tonight.
The celebrated ‘Billies’ - an annual awards ceremony created and hosted by the Women’s Sports Foundation to honor work in the media that promotes the positive portrayal of girls and women in sport and physical activity - selected the landmark decisions in 2007 of the Wimbledon Championships and Roland Garros to offer equal prize-money in the men’s and women’s events as the key moment of last year. This completed the circle of Grand Slams with equal prize money, adding to the US Open (1973) and the Australian Open (2000).
“2007 will forever be remembered as the year of equality in tennis,” said Billie Jean King, founder of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and Women’s Sports Foundation, former tennis champion and long-time campaigner of equality in the women’s game. “This milestone represents an achievement of historic proportions, realized through the hard work and dedication of so many through the years to the cause of equality, and most importantly it has opened doors and created new opportunities well beyond the field of sport."
Commenting on the recognition, Larry Scott, CEO of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, said: “2007 was a monumental year for women’s tennis. With equal prize-money declared at the Wimbledon Championships and Roland Garros, the final pieces of the jigsaw are in place. It’s a testament to the strength of women’s tennis, our current players and to all of those in history who fought so hard for this milestone. We at the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour are truly honored that the achievement of equal prize money has been honored by the Billies and thank the Women’s Sport Foundation and Billie Jean King, one of our great champions, for placing such a high recognition on this historical achievement for women’s tennis.’
Roadmap to Equality
1968 – Billie Jean King wins Wimbledon Ladies Singles title. She wins £750 ($375) prize-money. The gentlemen’s champion, Rod Laver, wins £2,000 ($1,000)
1973 – WTA Tour formed in a room at the Gloucester Hotel, London, during the Wimbledon Championships. The Tour commits to making equal prize money a reality at the four Grand Slam events
1973 – Billie Jean King defeats men’s tour professional Bobby Riggs, in a match cited as the ‘battle of the sexes’
1973 – US Open Championship offers equal prize-money to men and women
1978 – Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Champion, Bjorn Borg receives £19,000 ($9,500). The Ladies’ Champion, Martina Navratilova, receives £17,100 ($8,050) 90% of the men’s prize
2000 – The Australian Open offers equal prize money
2006 – Roland Garros offers equal prize money for the men’s and women’s champion but not the entire draw.
2006 – The Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Champion, Roger Federer, receives £655,000 ($327,500), The Ladies Champion, Amelie Mauresmo, receives 625,000 ($312,500), 95.4% of the men’s prize.
2007 – The Wimbledon Championships and Roland Garros offers equal prize money throughout the draw.
2009 – For the first time in the history of the sport, in addition to all four Grand Slams offering equal prize money, year-end Sony Ericsson Championships and top four combined events on women’s and men’s Tours to offer equal prize money.
