A leading consumer watchdog in Italy has hit out at their biggest tennis tournament over what they say is unfair differences in pay between male and female players.
Codacons has issued a press release confirming they have filed an official complaint to the Department for Equal Opportunities (Presidency of the Council of Ministers). The political Authority directly in charge of gender equality and equal opportunities policies in Italy which are made up by a series of politicians from various parties. The move has been triggered by a report in national newspaper La Repubblica which notes that the prize money pool in the men’s draw is significantly more than the women’s.
“The Internazionali d’Italia would be the only tennis tournament among the Masters 1000 of 2021 with an inequality in pay based exclusively on the sex of the players,’ Carlo Rienzi, president of Codacons, said in a statement.
“Based on what La Repubblica reported today to the winner of the prestigious event would be entitled to a higher remuneration of 37% compared to the winner of the women’s draw.’
“Analyzing the prizes up for grabs for the other rounds (eighths, quarters, semifinals and final) it turns out that the remuneration reserved for the players is significantly lower than those paid to male athletes.”
This year’s Italian Open is categorised as a Masters 1000 for the men and as a WTA 1000 for the women. In each round play the prize money available is significantly higher for male than female players. For example the differences in the first round are €12,000 against €8670. This year’s men’s champion will take home more than €65,000 more than their female counterpart.
“An unacceptable gender pay gap in 2021, which causes blatant discrimination to the detriment of women, and which today leads Codacons to denounce the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) to the Equal Opportunities Commission for discrimination gender,” Rienzi concluded.
Whilst the Italian Open is a mixed tournament, both of the Tour’s have their own governing body with their own guidelines regarding prize money. Explaining why this difference has occurred. It is for this reason why there is also a difference in points on offer to players.
There has been no comment from the Italian Open, WTA or the ATP in regard to Codacons’ complaint.
2021 Italian Open: Men Vs Women
Prize Money
| Men | Women | |
| Winner | 245,085 | 178,630 |
| Runner-up | 145,000 | 132,258 |
| SF | 82,300 | 70,161 |
| QF | 54,100 | 33,486 |
| R3 | 28,200 | 16,935 |
| R2 | 18,000 | 10,726 |
| R1 | 12,000 | 8670 |
Points
| Men | Women | |
| Winner | 1000 | 900 |
| Runner-up | 600 | 585 |
| SF | 360 | 350 |
| QF | 180 | 190 |
| R3 | 90 | 105 |
| R2 | 45 | 60 |
| R1 | 10 | 1 |
Note: info via atptour.com and wtatennis.com
