By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Monday, February 19, 2024
Coco Gauff knows what it takes to earn equality on and off court.
The 19-year-old Gauff captured her maiden major championship at the US Open last September—and collected a champion’s check of $3 million, the same prize money US Open men’s champion Novak Djokovic earned.
The world No. 3 has even held her own, at times, playing baseline practice games against friends Frances Tiafoe and Christopher Eubanks.
“Actually when we practice with guys, a lot of women play baseline games with them. We still win the games sometimes,” Gauff told the media in Dubai today. “I played with Chris a couple times. I played with Frances last year in Indian Wells. I win a couple times; I don’t.
“Baseline games usually, depending on the guy’s serve, some of them don’t have as good of serves so we can return it (laughter), but baseline games are a good, common ground for us to play.”
Women earn equal prize money as men in the majors. When it comes to pay parity across the board, Gauff asserts women’s tennis—and women’s sports—must do a better marketing job to gain equal ground with men.
“For me I think the biggest thing in that most sports in the world, people watch the men’s game more than the women’s,” said Gauff, a devoted NBA and WNBA fan. “I think we continue to bring fans. The problem is also we have to market our women’s sports better, market us better.
“I think the past couple years I feel like the marketing for women’s sports has been invested more in, and therefore there’s been more watch-ability, people watching. I think if we continue to invest in women’s sports, then it will profit almost the same as the men, garner equal pay.”
Tennis has an advantage in that it is one of the few top professional sports where men and women share the court and compete directly against each other. Gauff is hopeful tennis can be a leader for other sports in that respect.
“I’m grateful for us,” Gauff said. “At least on most tournaments, some tournaments on the tour, the Grand Slams obviously, we have equal pay. Hopefully tennis can be the leader of that and fiddle down into other sports, as well.”
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