Coco Gauff, Mary Carillo Advocate For Equal Pay For Women Athletes At WTA 50th Anniversary Gala

When thinking about the greatest athletes to ever walk this Earth, multiple women’s names come to mind. Yet, they still have to fight for equal pay and equitable representation. Coco Gauff, Mary Carillo, and more spoke at the Women’s Tennis Association’s 50th Anniversary Gala recently about that harsh reality, and what they hope to see change down the line.

“I hope that we’re not having to have any discussion 50 years from now,” Robin Roberts of Good Morning America said at the Friday (Aug. 25) event. “After being asked about equality someone responds ‘Yo, we’re still talking about that?’ It’s not even a discussion anymore because it’s done. That’s what I hope.”

“Women deserve more dough,” Carillo said. She tasked the young athletes with leading the charge so this is no longer an issue, and confidently asserted her belief in them. Billie Jean King, the founder of the Women’s Tennis Association, echoed the sportscaster’s sentiments, but reiterated her commitment to stand by everyone fighting for equality. “I’m not done yet. That’s how I feel, even though I’m older,” King said. “We’ve got to stick together.”

“I think that for me, using my platform is something that’s always been important to me, whether it’s social justice or such things as equal pay,” Coca Gauff, the 19-year-old tennis prodigy who is slated to win the US Open after being victorious in her first match, said. “I’m sure they had no clue what the future was going to look like after starting the WTA, but it takes people like that to start change. And I think that’s what inspires me to speak out. I don’t think I’ll ever do anything that monumental, but I think every little bit, every voice matters.”

While Gauff may not realize how influential she can be, she is invested in seeing positive changes continue. “I think that for the WTA to come this far in 50 years means a lot, and I know that I’m ‘the future,’ so hopefully I can lead that kind of movement,” she said. “And hopefully tennis can continue to be the leader throughout that movement.”

WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu spoke about the patronization of women’s sports back in December. She asserted her desire to use her platform to get people genuinely invested as opposed to looking at the WNBA or other women’s leagues as “checking a box,” saying “I think a lot of people watch a game or go to a game or talk about women’s sports as kind of just a box check instead of actually believing in the values of what we bring, particularly in sports. […]  We are people, we do compete the same as the men do, particularly in the NBA. I think that’s something that we all as a whole are trying to improve on.”

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