Common Myths about ATP vs WTA Debunked
Ever since the advent of two different organizations for women’s tennis and men’s tennis, there is a never-ending, constant debate about which side works harder, has more competition and should be paid more. While it is true that there are major differences
between the game played by men and the equivalent played by women, the fact remains that many assumptions about the competition between the two are just that – assumptions.
Here is some explanation for popular postulates about WTA tennis as relevant to ATP tennis:
1. Men’s tennis and women’s tennis have different levels:
It does not take an expert to calculate this one; it is obviously true and in fact, not even debatable. They are almost two different sports – a comparison between the two can be taken so far as to be called unfair. They have both different and similar guidelines,
but that does not mean they match. There is one crucial reason for this: Speed. It is the key difference.
Male tennis pros can run much faster than females on the court and it affects the playing style of both parties. It is also the reason many female athletes are victims of the same game-play; they hit the ball completely flat, although they attempt to be
aggressive at each point as a compensation for their lack of speed and slow movement on the court.
2. The game is NOT easier for top ten female players:
Christophe Rochus, World Number 158, recently claimed that female players have it much easier in the top ten, implying that their matches only begin to be difficult around the semi finals. He also suggested that the athletic discrepancy between World Number
1 and World Number 100 is minute on the ATP, but substantial on the WTA.
However, taking Rochus seriously is probably a mistake: he has played Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer twice and lost in straight sets on all four occasions. Given the logic he himself used, he should have been able to defeat both of them. The fact remains
that constant domination in male tennis is the absolute norm, since Federer holds a record of 23 consecutive appearances in Grand Slam semis and both him and Rafa have claimed a whopping 17 of the last 19 Grand Slams.
On the contrary, WTA is a completely different story. Current Number 1 Caroline Wozniacki has not yet reached the final of any Major this year. In addition to this, two players who were not part of the Top Five competed against each other in the French Open
final; women’s tennis is quite obviously a wide-open field.
3. Kimiko Date Krumm vs. Thomas Muster, the age debate:
Many fans are questioning the strenuousness and competition involved in Kimiko Date Krumm and Thomas Muster’s respective comebacks. Because Date Krumm has had more success at the WTA than Muster has had on his comeback to the ATP, many critics claim that
this is a sign of weakness in women’s tennis.
This is not true: Date Krumm worked and practiced hard to pull herself back in the Top 100, and she covered major ground this year. The 40 year old player beat Maria Sharapova, reached the final of a tournament and threw herself into her comeback whole-heartedly.
Muster played one match and lost; he’s not intending to come back.
4. WTA and ATP players should not earn the same amount of money:
The argument here is this: men play more sets than women, and so they should earn more money. It makes no logical sense, because essentially it means paying with respect to the number of hours spent on court rather than the number of victories amassed.
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