For years women have shouted the mantra of equal pay for equal work.?

Question

So why haven't the women gone to 5 set matches? If they were awarded equal prize money, the matches should be 5 sets.

Answer 1

An excellent question, I like it!

The main reason why women are now paid the same as men is from a business perspective - the women bring in equal or more money to the tournament through sponsorhip, marketing, ticket sales and tv revenues. In Grand Slams, it isn't just the men people pay money to watch.

The top women are higher profile than the men - more people know who Maria Sharapova and the Williams Sisters are than Roger Federer outside of tennis. That means they are likely to draw in more crowds - the statistics from the ATP and WTA websites have shown this to be true for years.

In 2005 the Wimbledon Mens' final Federer vs Roddick, was shorter than the womens' final between Venus and Lindsay Davenport - so the number of sets isn't always relevant. The womens final was easily more exciting than the mens with Venus winning 9-7 in the final set versus Federer giving Roddick a tennis lesson again. Besides who wants to see Henin thrash a top 100 player 6-0 6-0 6-0? It's bad enough watching the first rounds as it is!)

More importantly if you made the women play 5 set matches , none of the grand slams would complete on time - they barely have enough time to complete all the mens and all the womens plus rain delays as it is. This years Wimbledon was a good example, although the problems may go away with the new roof.

There has been talk in the ATP about reducing the mens to 3 sets - I think this would be a disaster. The Masters series finals have all gone from 5 sets to 3 and the difference is vast - this years' Rome final was nowhere near the classic of last year when Federer blew 2 match points against Nadal on clay in a 5 set thriller.

Bringing the womens game to 5 sets would make it less of a spectacle - fitness levels are high with the top women but plummet drastically as you go down the ranks whereas the mens fitness levels are good enough quite a way down the rankings which is why you get more upsets in the earlier rounds of mens' Grand Slams than womens.

To finish off, I'll go back to the first point - it is a business decision more than anything else - the women bring in as much money as the men do to the game and to the tournaments.

Answer 2

Equal work equal pay and it is just that simple.
So, if men play 3 sets, so do women have to play and get the
same money. If men play 5 sets, then so do women need to
play.
Or else stop the gender gap and play along with men and
win all....go girls go...and stop the nonsense monotone grunting

Answer 3

It's been determined that women are only 60 % as strong and as athletic as men so for them to play 3 sets is the equivalent to men playing 5.

Plus the extra energy that they have to expend grunting every time they hit the ball and the emotional intensity with which they play causes them to fatigue sooner.

Real answer is they aren't into serious conditioning like the men have to be. Steffi Graff, Martina Navratilova, Venus Williams, Justine Henin, Amelie Mauresmo are probably 5 of the best examples of fit female tennis players that could go 5 sets.

Answer 4

Exactly...Even I don't understand the logic behind giving equal pay to women when they do not play for 5 sets.....

But i guess they just want to spread the SOCIAL MESSAGE OF GENDER-BASED EQUALITY!!!

Answer 5

Women are whiner, they just want the money, they don't want equal work....if you make them play 5 sets, they will start faking injuries and asking for many restroom breaks....to freshen up because after 4 sets their hair start to mess up, their mascara running among other things...

Answer 6

Strength, my young man!!! You try all that grunting & groaning , swinging & swaying & you'd be way to tired for 5 sets too!!!!!

Answer 7

I always thought the same about firefighter's tests.