Pay Equity Completes The Gland Slam

Lost among my frenzied coverage of the Pacific Life Open last week was this tidbit that the French Tennis Federation (la Fédération Française de Tennis) announced that it would be offering equal prize money at the 2007 French Open at Roland Garros. Previously, the champions of the Men's and Women's singles draws were awarded equal prize money but there was a discrepancy in the amount awarded to male and female participants who lost in earlier rounds (which, obviously is the vast majority of the competitors).

Last month, All-England Law Tennis Club (which runs Wimbledon) announced that it was going to end it's hold out against pay equity for male and female competitors to great fanfare. The Australian and United States Opens both have offered equal pay to men and women for years. With the FFT's announcement last week, pay equity has completed the Grand Slam!