Representing the country at the Olympics is a great feeling for every athlete around the world. Apart from the pride, a majority of athletes also receive extra motivation to win medals at the quadrennial sporting event due to the cash incentives their respective nations offer. However, the likes of Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, and Coco Gauff, among other American tennis players won’t be able to use money as a motivation to perform well in Paris.
The United States of America is one of the best sporting nations in the world, having finished at the top-most position of the medal standings in 18 editions (most) of the Olympics. Despite the success, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee rewards its athletes significantly less than other nations.
According to USA Today, a gold medal-winning athlete from the States will receive $37,500. This is not a small amount. However, it does seem to be a subpar figure for a country of its stature to have 17 countries paying their gold medal-winning athletes a higher amount.
Further, the USOPC has a $22,500 and $15,000 reward for athletes bagging the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
Compared to athletes from other disciplines, tennis stars are rewarded handsomely by the ATP and WTA Tours. The maximum amount of $37,500 won’t be much of an incentive for Fritz, Paul, Gauff, and the remaining 9 players representing the USA in tennis.
For instance, every player received $76,164 only to get past the first round of the Wimbledon 2024 in the singles categories. This amount is more than double what the USOPC is rewarding athletes for winning the coveted gold medal.
Hence, the likes of Ben Shelton, Sebastian Korda, and Frances Tiafoe can’t really be blamed for opting out of the Summer Games. But the Olympics will be comparatively more lucrative for the women’s tennis contingent.
Why do female USA tennis players like Gauff don’t mind participating at Olympics?
While each of the four Grand Slams rewards men and women equally, the same isn’t the case for the WTA 250 & 500 and the ATP 250 & 500 tournaments. The WTA rewards its athletes significantly more than the ATP.
Certain 250-level tournaments have a mere cash prize of $35,250 (the ATX Open 2024) for the champion. Hence, the biggest female stars from the American tennis community such as Gauff, Emma Navarro, Danielle Collins, and Jessica Pegula are participating in the prestigious sporting competition.
To ensure that America can send a stronger contingent, the United States Tennis Association needs to offer additional benefits from the next edition of the Olympics.
