Novak Djokovic saying women tennis players should receive less prize money than men

Errrr.....

Did he play in the Olympics? You know the games with the world wide audience and no prize money?

Or does he think the women should only be able to get a silver medal?

Women's football was immensely popular round the time of WW1 and pulled in larger crowds than men's matches. Then in the 1920s, women were banned from playing on any FA-affiliated pitches, which basically meant all pitches which could accommodate larger crowds. I don't see why we couldn't get back to that sort of level of engagement with women's football if we could have some years where the women's game gets equal treatment to the men's game.

And probably men's egos would survive as well, but it's a risk I'd be willing to take.

Do you think so, Derxa? I would imagine after 50 years of equal coverage that people would be as interested in it. Look at all the channels dedicated to men's football, and all the newspaper supplements, specialist magazines etc etc that have been in existence for such a long time. It wouldn't happen in a year or two, as women's football hasn't had that level of interest for that length of time, it would take longer I think. Can you imagine the column inches that would be dedicated to the HABs as well as the WAGs?!

I suspect female football would start attracting more similar attention to men's if they were purposely given similar paper inch spaces and tv coverage.
I suspect not.

I think it actually helps when women and men are competing at the same time. Not because women ride on the back of men, but it's an uphill struggle to get something to become popular.
It took taking the World Football Championship to the USA to make it more popular among men there. But there were huge financial interests there.

I bet that if at this stage women's tennis and men's tennis ran separately, and were given the same media attention people would give more or less the same importance. (in the UK, it would help to have a good female player competing, though)

I suspect female football would start attracting more similar attention to men's if they were purposely given similar paper inch spaces and tv coverage. I mean, who needs more shows analysing the same goal from 500 different equal angles?
But there is no powerful FIFA investing on it.

I mentioned althletics (or at least Olympic sports earlier).
It seems to me the female athletic/olympians get the same level of credit, viewers and fans as the men. As you mention, Kelly Holmes - half the country was cheering her on! Paula Radcliffe also gets a lot of coverage, not to mention the cyclists, rowers, etc. etc.
Men's football is unreal, though. Hideously skewed.

The thing is in other sports where women aren't paid equally, I would like them to be, but they haven't been playing as long and not as many participate, and there isn't the income generated to pay them as much - as in football. Once there is strength and depth in competition the level of performance goes up- women's football has vastly improved in this regard, some are starting to be paid at a professional level (especially in other countries). There is of course always a biological difference in sports which require strength and speed - which is why it is better to keep men and women separate in such sports. Women footballers are starting to attract larger crowds and yes, Mide I agree with the skill argument.

Also there is another point with footballers - I'd say the male game has a real problem at the top end being paid far too much and with all the money in the game in general and the corruption in the administration of it. I don't want to see this replicated in women's football.

Athletics is another good example like tennis. The women runners may not run quite as fast but really, did people not pay to watch Kelly Holmes in the Olympics or other female big names? Is that not as competitive or as good to watch.

Back to tennis, before her recent drugs test the sponsors clearly thought Maria Sharapova was a massive crowd puller, as are/were the Williams sisters.

LookI'veGotACockovic clearly knows better though.

I think there is a difference between skill and ability. Taking something like basketball, you could have all the skill in the world but if your 5'5 it'll be hard to play in the NBA.

I think Professional sports women are just as skilled as their male equivalent but they might not have the same natural ability. Doesn't mean they aren't as good tho.

I now think Djokovic a a bit of a knob after these comments. Women have been paid the same in tennis for years now, how does it affect him exactly? Don't worry you precious snowflake, we won't make you fight Serena. I know who I'd put money on over ten rounds without a tennis racquet.

I think there are about three or four male tennis players who draw the crowds in the men's game, and similar in the women's.

Yes, I would like to see women players play five sets in the grand slams, but at the moment they don't and they can't unlaterally decide to go on for five sets.

Tell that to Alonso.

Or conduct an experiment with male and female motor racers, where the sex was not known. Then for people to score each race in terms of worth.
I suspect men and women's races wouldn't score much differently, except that men's are given more emphasis.

The lower formula and amateur races are much more entertaining and fun than F1 because the skill is lower (imo).
Even the televised stuff. Mistakes lead to overtakes (and crashes).
The "best" racers, don't always make for the best races. Again, in my opinion.

I wasn't aware, but according to grimbletart, they don't. :)
Even Serena isn't that dominant.
Would a tennis fan clarify if the top women are less skillful than men?

If men make for more difficult opponents in tennis (or any other sport), is it not reasonable to reward people who compete with them more than those that do not?

And I'd really like to see a women's Wimbledon final played on a Sunday and men's on a Saturday. I suspect that would even it out more in terms of audiences. :)

Or conduct an experiment with male and female motor racers, where the sex was not known. Then for people to score each race in terms of worth.
I suspect men and women's races wouldn't score much differently, except that men's are given more emphasis.

fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/serena-williams-grand-slam-us-open-best-of-five-sets/

Interesting perspective on women playing 5 sets in the 4 grand slams as men do and how it might deal with tedious argument about equal prize money for women despite playing only 3 sets. (Not to forget that men also play only 3 sets in all ATP tournaments, just as the women do in WTA tournaments).

This quote is particularly interesting…

"While women haven’t played best of five since 1998, their Grand Slam matches often go longer than men’s. Twice in the past five years, Francesca Schiavone has beaten Svetlana Kuznetsova in matches that lasted more than three and a half hours; each of their epics was longer than almost all of the men’s matches at the same Slam. I asked Kuznetsova after the second match if she minded playing so much. She said that it provides “more possibilities, more chances.”

So, if length of time on the court and ease of winning is one of the main arguments used against women getting equal pay, the above statement would indicate that there are women's matches that should attract more pay than some of the men's……..

"It would be interesting if people paid at the end of each game according to what they thought the game had been worth. Like in some restaurants"

Could we leave anonymous feedback to like in four in a bed?

I don't really care about whether I am watching a man or a woman play sport. What I do want to see is the best sport. Nina Carberry rides racehorses as well as the men. Zara Philips and other women ride 3 day event as well as the men. The women's football team for England are not as skilful as the men. Therefore it is not the best football to watch. The defensive mistakes that lead to goals are horrendous and so is the goalkeeping. The women's rugby team are bit like watching a school XV. Not their fault but even if it was on at the same time of day, and instead of the men's 6 Nations, I would not watch.

We occasionally buy debenture seats at Wimbledon. Women's days are considerably cheaper. These tickets are sold on a pure market value basis. I enjoy women's tennis but people do prefer to watch the men. I doubt the viewing figures for the women would be greater than the men even if they did play on Sunday. Lots of women watch tennis. They prefer to watch the sheer power and athleticism of the men. Having said that, SW is perfection.

We cannot pretend all women's sport is top class. Clearly some of it is average and I am not interested in watching it. Neither are lots of people. However, it is great to celebrate top class sporting achievement by women but saying all women's sport is brilliant is deluded and will not persuade the average sports fan to part with cash or switch on the tv. That does not mean women should not participate if they want to.
Exactly. I don't know why Novak has said this at all however you can't make people watch or be interested in sports events they don't want to see.

more people are prepared to pay more money to watch the faster cars.

Some people my dad enjoy the crashes.

I think with Formula 1 it's more the 'glamour' than the speed. If people were really interested in speed, overtaking, and nerves of steel then motorbike racing would be far more popular than it is. Formula 1 has got something else, the X factor (to steal a phrase from elsewhere!)

Why does 'best' automatically have to mean 'strongest'? Unless you're talking about weight lifting of course.

I don't watch sport just to see the best/fastest/strongest - I think that's a really simplistic view of sport. I like watching the drama of competition, the relative performance of personal favourite sports people

Me too, but I guess the masses out number us! :)
I find less quick motor sport just as exciting, even more so, than formula 1, but at the end of the day, more people are prepared to pay more money to watch the faster cars.

It would be interesting if people paid at the end of each game according to what they thought the game had been worth. Like in some restaurants.

See, they had the same number of sets as women. So, the same work, really.