The women at the Rogers Cup are competing for $2.8M this year -- almost $3M less than the men's drawGETTY IMAGES
A frequent topic of discussion among Tennis Canada execs has been how to find a way to increase the women’s purse at the Rogers Cup to "make it equal to the men’s," according to Rachel Brady of the GLOBE & MAIL. The men playing in the Rogers Cup, which got underway in Toronto and Montreal yesterday, are competing for a purse of $5.7M this year, compared with the women’s purse of $2.8M. Tennis Canada -- the event's owner and operator -- "foots the bill" for both of the tournaments’ prizes. They are "separate events, mandated by the two different tours that each have their own sets of guidelines for determining prize money." The men's Rogers Cup has a "higher classification" on the ATP Tour than the women's Rogers Cup does on the WTA Tour. Building up the WTA Rogers Cup is a "top initiative" for Tennis Canada, particularly because "increased revenue at the event leads directly to higher prize money." WTA CEO Steve Simon said, "We all recognize that the money has to come from some place, and they have a lot of responsibilities and we respect choices federations have to make." Meanwhile, Tennis Canada is also "focusing on adding more female coaches into high-performance ranks and rectifying the trend of too many girls leaving the sport too soon" (GLOBE & MAIL, 8/3).
