Federer Tackles Simon

Roger Federer is desperately hoping the dramatic re-emergence of the Grand Slam equal prize money row will not overshadow Wimbledon.

French player Gilles Simon, who sits on the ATP Player Council alongside Swiss superstar Federer, reopened old wounds when he insisted that women, who play best-of-three sets rather than five, should receive less cash than men.

But Federer, the world number three and a six-time Wimbledon champion, said: “I hope it doesn’t become a big issue now that the Wimbledon is getting to its crucial stages. It’s obviously a debate that’s out there ever since I guess the Slams have made equal prize money.

“There’s nothing you can do anyway about it. It’s just a matter of who believes what, and then that is an endless debate.”

Simon, the world number 13, had criticised the move towards equality, insisting that the men’s game has more to offer spectators.

“We often speak of equal money, but I think it’s something that doesn’t work in sport,” said Simon.

“Tennis is the only sport today where we have parity even though men’s tennis remains more attractive than women’s at this time.”

Simon has also criticised the move towards more joint-tournaments outside of the four majors — last week, men and women played at the same event in Eastbourne and ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

“I am not against these tournaments, it’s just that I think that today men’s tennis is really ahead compared to women,” he said.

Simon also added: “When Rome became a joint tournament it was to save the women because I remember a final with 20 spectators”.