djokovic halep
While larger pay gaps in earlier rounds further underscore gender inequities, "the pettiness of the inequality on the top line is far more symbolic."
Riccardo Antimiani – Pool/Getty Images/Clive Brunskill/Pool via REUTERS
  • Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep were this year’s Italian Open winners.
  • Due to the coronavirus pandemic, total payouts were down 33.5% compared to the 2019 prize pool.
  • Though the gender pay gap was smaller than in years past, the $12 difference between Djokovic’s and Halep’s final checks drew criticism from tennis fans.
  • Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep took home the grand prizes at the 2020 Italian Open, but the winners won’t be leaving Rome with equal payouts.

Djokovic will take home roughly $12 more.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic.
Getty/Cameron Spencer

In a disparity that New York Times tennis writer Ben Rothenberg described as indicative of “fragile masculinity and misogyny,” the men’s winner at this year’s tournament earned €205,200, or $240,616.49, compared to the women’s €205,190, or $240,604.77.

While more significant pay gaps earlier in the tournament — a whopping $157,741.66 total between the first round and semifinals — further underscore the inequities that persist between the genders, “the pettiness of the inequality on the top line is far more symbolic,” Rothenberg wrote on Twitter.

 

 

The Italian Open has long been notorious for its pay disparity between men's and women's winners, but this year's payouts looked quite different than in years past. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the total prize pool was down 33.5% compared to the 2019 lump sum.

simona halep.JPG
Simona Halep.
REUTERS/Vincent Kessler

Perhaps that reduction contributed to a decreased gender pay gap at the top levels of this year's tournament. Last year, men's champion Rafael Nadal walked away with $1.56 million, nearly double women's winner Karolina Pliskova's $855,455 payday, according to Yahoo.

Still, the meager $12 difference between Djokovic's and Halep's payouts this year drew harsh criticism from tennis fans, who called the gap "embarrassing" and "ridiculous."

Read the original article on Insider