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'A boycott could happen' Hingis demands equality from WTA
Posted: Tuesday January 04, 2000 10:07 AM
HONG KONG (AP) -- World No. 1 Martina Hingis says top women players could stage a boycott if the Women's Tennis Association fails to provide prize money equal to what men can compete for. Hingis, who is in Hong Kong for an exhibition event, was quoted in Tuesday's editions of the South China Morning Post as saying the disparity in prize money between the men's and women's tours was a source of major discontent among the women. "I think we women deserve equal prize money to what the men are getting. Presently we get around half, or even less than that, of what the men get, while at the same time the women's game has improved a lot in recent years," Hingis was quoted as saying. "I hope the problem is solved by all parties sitting down and talking together to find a solution agreeable to everyone. But a boycott could happen if we don't get our way," Hingis said. Last April, Hingis and about 60 players signed a petition asking the WTA for equal prize money with the men at all four Grand Slam tournaments. Hingis, who is on her way to Australia to take part in this year's first Grand Slam tournament, said anything was possible if the issue was not resolved. "It could go as far as a boycott if all we girls stick together. Hey, you get people on streets rebelling all the time ... why not us?" said the 19-year-old Hingis. She added: "I'm not saying that the players are not making money. We are not starving. I make a lot of money, but most of it comes from commercial agreements and other contracts and not from prize money. "Everyone thinks we earn a lot from prize money but they forget about taxes which takes away a lot of it, sometimes as much as half of it."
Last year Hingis won almost $3.3 million in prize money to top the WTA earning's list.
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