"I played four hours at the Australian Open, Svitolina played like 40 minutes" says Nick Kyrgios in objection to equal prize money
ATP
Nick Kyrgios has been in bombshell mode since announcing that he would not play the 2024 Australian Open. This time he has taken aim at the notion of equal prize money rubbishing that at Grand Slams, female players take home the same as men.
So far this week, Kyrgios has said in particular that his tennis career could be coming to an end and that he doesn't feel like playing any more as well as opening up on his own mental health issues and nearly taking his own life at Acapulco a few years ago.
WNBA/NBA merger would get 'ridiculed' in example against WTA/ATP move
He used Elina Svitolina as an example saying that in his opinion, it isn't fair that she can play for like 40 minutes and he can play for like four hours and get the same money. Of course this isn't a true depiction with female players being on court for a lot longer.
"I played for four hours at the A.O. (Australian Open), then (Elina) Svitolina played for like 40 minutes and we both got paid the same," Nick Kyrgios told The Athletic.
He also took aim at a potential ATP/WTA merger saying that it doesn't make sense and said that it'd get laughed out of the building if it was the WNBA and NBA having such a venture.
"If we’re merging, you merge the draws, you merge everything," he said. "But why is tennis the only sport that deals with this stuff? If the WNBA said, ‘Let’s merge’, the NBA would ridicule them."
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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