Serena Williams Claims Credit For WTA Getting Increase Prize Money

Written by: Staff on 28th March 2013

Sony Open tennis tournament on Key Biscayne

Serena Williams Claims Credit For WTA Getting Increase Prize Money

epa03641533 Serena Williams of the US returns a ball from Li Na of China during their quarter final match at the Sony Open tennis tournament in Miami, Florida, USA, 26 March 2013. The tournament runs through 31 March. EPA/ERIK S. LESSER |

Never shy about trumpeting her own exploits, Serena Williams has worked her way into the spotlight as she claims that WTA women – as much as men who began the initiative – were also responsible for a massive prize money boost at upcoming US Opens which is sure to spread to the other three majors.

Williams needed little provocation to jump feet first into the issue which has been quarter-backed by the ATP for well over a year. The prize increase to $50 million at Flushing Meadows to be reached by 2017, was negotiated from start to finish by ATP powers including Roger Federer, president of the Player Council. Due to rules requiring equal prize money to women, the WTA got a free ride through the gates to increased paydays.

That’s not the way the confident Williams sees it at all. In fact, for her, it was almost all down to the WTA efforts. It wasn’t only the men’s side, for the record”, though they definitely led the challenge,” she said.

“I’m on the (women’s) player council, we had a lot to do with (it). We met with all the Grand Slams in Doha (February), in the middle of the tournament. We sat down with all the top players and every Grand Slam chairman came in, and we told them, ‘Look, we need to change.'”

The No. 1 who trails top women’s earner Maria Sharapova by a considerable career margin tried to put a humanitarian spin on the successful prize money squeeze play.

“This is about people, we don’t just want to earn more money, but just do better for the sport. Show people a reason to play tennis. Get more people involved. What can we do to make that better?

“We were in those meetings and all biting our nails, both the players and the Grand Slam chairmen, you know. Sometimes it gets a little testy, especially with some. But I think it was worth it.

“We still want to climb and we still want to make improvements, obviously not for me or for my generation, but for the next generations to come to say that tennis is such a great sport and you can do well in it.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Atp, Serena Williams, Sports, Tennis News, tennis prize money, US Open, Wta