Aryna Sabalenka has called for equal pay in tennis after she won the Cincinnati Masters but both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have previously spoken out against it

Aryna Sabalenka has reignited the debate over equal pay in tennis after lifting the Cincinnati Masters trophy with Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal previously having their say on the matter.

While enjoying a stellar 2024 season and heading into the US Open full of confidence, Sabalenka made headlines on Monday not solely for her on-court heroics but also for challenging the ongoing disparity in prize money between male and female players after her tournament triumph over Jessica Pegula.

The Belarusian sensation highlighted the glaring gap as she took home half of what Jannik Sinner earned for his concurrent men’s final victory with Sabalenka’s $524,730 (£400,000) paling in comparison to Sinner’s $1,049,460 (£775,000).

The 26-year-old brought attention to the issue stating: “From the TV point of view, from the ticket selling, from every point of view, it’s unfair. Of course, guys are always going to be physically stronger than women but it doesn’t mean we’re not working as hard as they do. Women deserve to be paid an equal amount of money that men do.”

With this statement, she joins an enduring dialogue on gender pay equality in the sports conversation previously marked by contrasting views from heavyweights such as Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. The pair notably voiced their opposition to equal pay; back in 2016 at Indian Wells, Djokovic contended that male players should campaign for more money.

The Serbian stirred up quite the storm with his comments following then-tournament CEO Raymond Moore’s controversial claim that women players “ride on coattails of the men” and should “get on their knees and thank God” for top male stars like Nadal and Federer.

The 37-year-old initially argued: “I think that our men’s tennis world, ATP world, should fight for more because the stats are showing that we have much more spectators on the men’s tennis matches, I think that’s one of the reasons why maybe we should get awarded more”, but he swiftly shifted his opinion saying: “I never had an issue with equality in gender or sport or other areas of life.”

His retraction continued with a heartfelt acknowledgement: “I feel very sorry if, in any way, I hurt my female colleague tennis players. I have a very good relationship with all of them. I have a huge respect for all of them.”

Djokovic, who once appeared to suggest that men deserve higher pay in tennis, has since become a proponent for equal prize money and enhanced earnings for those lower down the rankings, even setting up the Professional Tennis Players Association with Vasek Pospisil in 2020.

Nadal was another major force opposing equal pay in tennis, telling Italian magazine Lo Donna in 2018: “Female models earn more than male models, and nobody says anything. Why? Because they have a larger following. In tennis, too, who gathers a larger audience earns more.”

The Spaniard, reflecting on the gender equality debate, delivered a bold message to the tennis world, speaking earlier this year during a TV interview with La Sexta. He asserted that both male and female players should indeed be given the same opportunities but insisted prize money should reflect the revenue they generate: “I don’t want to be hypocritical and say things that are easy to say and that I don’t feel.

“What do you want me to say? For me, the investment for women should be the same as for men,” stated the 22-time major champion. “The opportunities, the same. The salaries, the same? No, for what? It’s not unfair, what’s unfair is that there isn’t equal opportunity.

“I have a mother and a sister. If you tell me that men and women deserve the same opportunities, I’m a feminist. This term is taken to the extreme. If we’re talking about logical and normal things in this conversation, of course, I want equality.”

The celebrated tennis star revealed his frustration over calls for identical prize payouts: “For me, equality isn’t about giving away gifts, but if Serena Williams earns more than me, I want her to earn more than me. I want equality, I want women to earn more than men if they generate more than men.

“What bothers me is when people tell me that income and earnings should be equal. In tennis, for some reason, the payouts are almost equal in most events because at the time there was an opportunity for women’s tennis to be seen.”