Wimbledon 2007 has many firsts -- the hawkeye line testing system where players can challenge calls made by the umpire and most importantly, perhaps, equal prize money for men and women. This is the first year that The Championships are offering the same amount to both sexes, and several players are certainly pleased.
Maria Sharapova, the second-seeded Russian, welcomed the change. She said, “It's incredible, I think all the girls have stood up as a team and have been fighting for such a long period of time. We just kept fighting. We believed we were going to get what we asked for and we did. At the end of the day, I don't think anyone really thought it was about dollars, a few pounds here and there. I think it was just about, you know the fact that we were equal to the men, which is incredible.”

Not about pounds
It isn't really about a few pounds here and there, really. Wimbledon 2007 is the tournament offering the highest prize money in history. That translates to 700,000 pounds each for the winners of the Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ singles championships, and 222,900 pounds for the triumphant doubles pairs. Tim Phillips, chairman of the All England Club and The Championships, explained: “No tennis tournament has ever offered higher prize money than Wimbledon in 2007. We want to reward the players appropriately for the talent, entertainment and drama they bring to the grass courts of Wimbledon."
The championships at SW19 were previously the only Grand Slam event that didn't offer equal pay to female and male winners. The French Open pays champions of both sexes equally, but there is a difference between men and women in the earlier rounds. The All England Club had drawn criticism both from officials and players, but had defended itself on the grounds that women had best-of-three-set matches while the men had best-of-five.

Entertainment
Equal pay campaigners, however, argue that it's not about the number of sets but about entertainment. Women's matches, they maintain, are just as sold out as the men's matches, and players of both sexes are equally high profile.
Serena Williams, a hot contender this year, said, “I think it sends a great message. Obviously, back in the '70s when Billie Jean King took a stand for women's tennis, I don't remember if it was six or eight, many other players too wanted equal prize money. The '70s was a while ago, I wasn't even born then. It's taken this long to have equal prize money now at Wimbledon.
“I think it's a step in the right direction, not only for tennis but just for women's sports, for women all around."
There are reports that some male players are less than happy with the decision, there's talk of grumbling in the locker rooms. But three-time men's champion John McEnroe categorically supported the decision. He told the Daily Telegraph, “I think when you've got men and women playing at the same tournament, it is ludicrous to have a difference in pay.”
Long-time champion of women's rights in tennis, Billie Jean, had the last word. She told BBC, “Women's tennis is the leader in women's sports. Equal prize money is a no-brainer.”