A quick note on Wimbledon. Apart from being one of the most compelling, thrilling and wonderfully British sporting events of the year, it has also quickly become one of the most egalitarian. We have now put to bed the question of equal pay between men and women, anyone who continues to disagree can take it up with Serena. She quite brilliantly corrected a reporter when he asked her what it was like to be considered ‘one of the greatest female athletes of all time’. ‘Greatest athletes’ she quipped back. Go Serena!
And for the first time this year there was a wheelchair singles title. An exhilarating competition won by Great Britain’s Gordon Reid who is not only a champion but a wonderfully eloquent advocate for disabled sport. This progress should be celebrated.
But I can’t help thinking, why did Gordon get paid so little? Andy Murray and Serena Williams were paid £2 million each for winning their title. Gordon Reid? £25,000. That’s less than first round losers get paid in the singles. And I just can’t find a good enough reason to justify this. Ratings difference or time spent on court can’t be it or there would still be a difference with gender pay, so why the difference for disabled players?
There may be a really simple answer to this but I can’t see it. Comments and suggestions welcome.