By IANS
Melbourne : She may be the biggest draw as far as glamour goes in world tennis, but world No.5 Maria Sharapova is against the move to increase the women’s share of the prize pool to more than 50 percent of the total.
Sharapova says female players should not get paid more than their male counterparts.
The Russian star, who moved into the fourth round of the Australian Open with a straight-sets win over Elena Vesnina Friday, believes that the overall prize money pool should grow but should remain 50-50 between the men and women.
The four Grand Slam tournaments now offer equal prize money to the men’s and women’s champions, ending decades of inequity between the genders.
“Of course it’s fair. Let’s not get greedy here,” she said Friday.
“I’m happy that it’s equal. I think all the girls are. I think it’s definitely fair. We fought for a really long time. I think prize money should grow in both women’s and men’s tennis, because I think the popularity of our sport is growing in so many different areas of the world.
“To see it expand with every trip you take into different regions, it’s incredible. And I hope with years to come, like Billie Jean King did for us, we can do for the generation that’s going to be playing when we’re all retired.”