Tuesday, September 21, 2010

The Women of the US Open at the Billy Jean Tennis Center: You've Come a Long Way...

Kim Clijsters of Belgium, Winner of the US Open

An editorial in the New York Times on Monday, September 20th caught my eye.

Its title is Shortchanging America's Women and the short message is that full time working women earn only 77% of what men do for a comparable position. It urges the US Senate to pass a bill that would go a long way to even out the pay differential.

So, it is heartening to learn that at the recent US Open women earned just as much as their male counterparts.

The total prize winnings were about $19 million. The winners, Nadal and Clijsters each earned $1.7m and Kim was awarded an additional $500,000 because she earned qualifying points by playing in a USTA series leading up to the Open.

Accolades to the formidable ladies of tennis over the years: Maureen Connelly, Doris Hart, Althea Gibson Margaret Court Smith, Yvonne Goolagong, Nancy Richey, Anne Hayden Jones, Virginia Wade, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratalova, Steffi Graff, Traci Austin, the Williams sisters and so so many others.

What a wonderful two weeks it was and hats off to the women for their gallant performances.




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