The Wimbledon women's champion earned $980 in 1968—here's how much she'll win this year
For whoever wins the Wimbledon women's championship on Saturday, the payout will be much, much higher than in 1968, the start of tennis' professional era. And, even better, it will be the same amount paid to the men's winner for the 10th straight year after decades of pay inequality on tennis' biggest stage.
In the championship match, American Venus Williams will face Spain's Garbine Muguruza. It'll be Williams' chance at claiming the Grand Slam tournament title for the sixth time (and her eighth major tournament overall).
The winner will collect a hefty paycheck, to the tune of approximately £2.2 million (or about $2.8 million). The runner-up, meanwhile, is set to earn £1,100,000 (or about $1.4 million).
Both players have amassed some big winnings in their careers, although Williams, 37, has played much longer. Her career earnings? A reported $36 million, according to Women's Tennis Association (WTA) website.
Muguruza, meanwhile, has raked in about $11 million, according to the WTA, which was helped by her French Open title in 2016.
In 1968, winner Billie Jean King, a pioneer for equal rights and pay for women in sports and a 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, took home just £750 or $980. That same year, the men's champion earned £2000 or $2,621.
Following is a list of how much the women's champions earned, approximately every five years, starting in 1968.
Of particular note is 2007, the first time both men and women earned equal pay for claiming the tournament's title. For instance, in 2006, the men's champion took home £655,000 or $858,590. The woman who won that year? £625,000 or $819,265, or a difference of about $40,000.
Winnings are in both British pounds and U.S. dollars. Exact amounts may have varied depending on exchange rates at the time. The figures are based on Wimbledon's full pay breakdown, which can be found here.
1968: £750 or $980
1973: £3,000 or $3,922
1978: £17,100 or $22,357
1983: £60,000 or $78,446
1988: £148,500 or $194,154
1993: £275,000 or $359,544
1998: £391,500 or $511,860
2003: £535,000 or $699,477
2007: £700,000 or $915,204
2008: £750,000 or $980,576
2013: £1,600,000 or $2,091,896
2017: £2,200,000 or $2,876,357
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