"Men should feel lucky to get equal prize money from US Open" - Journalist highlights Sinner vs Fritz getting fewer views than Pegula vs Sabalenka
Renowned journalist Ben Rothenberg highlighted the lower viewership for the Jannik Sinner vs. Taylor Fritz US Open final compared to the women's final between Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula. The Belarusian won the women's singles final by defeating Pegula in straight sets, securing her third Grand Slam title.
Meanwhile, Sinner triumphed over Fritz 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 in the final to claim his second Major title, the previous being the 2024 Australian Open.
Both finals delivered high intensity, yet the YouTube highlights of the women’s match attracted significantly more views (1.6 million) compared to the men’s (688k). Rothenberg, a frequent advocate for women’s sports, highlighted this on X, sharing a post comparing the viewership of both finals.
Furthermore, Rothenberg took a subtle jab at male tennis players, suggesting they should feel fortunate to receive equal prize money as the women. Both Sabalenka and Sinner earned $3.6 million as prize money.
"The men should feel lucky to get equal prize money from #USOpen, tbh," Rothenberg wrote.
Despite Americans competing in both categories, the finals saw a significant decline in overall viewership compared to previous editions. Sunday's Sinner vs. Fritz match averaged 1.8 million viewers across ABC and ESPN+, a 31% drop from last year and the lowest since 2020.
Meanwhile, the women’s final averaged 1.8 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN+, a 53% drop from last year’s Gauff vs. Sabalenka final.
Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka reached new milestones following US Open wins
After defeating Jessica Pegula in the US Open final, Aryna Sabalenka became the fifth woman and the first since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to win both hard-court Majors in a season. She also became the sixth woman to win the New York Major after being the runner-up in its previous edition. The Belarusian fell to Coco Gauff in the final last year.
The World No. 2 also secured the most wins in Grand Slam matches, with 23 last year and 18 this year. She is the first player to finish consecutive seasons with the highest Grand Slam victories since Serena Williams in 2015-2016.
Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner scripted history in the Arthur Ashe Stadium becoming the first Italian male player to win the US Open. Flavia Pennetta was the first Italian woman to win the tournament in 2015.
The 23-year-old became the third youngest player in the Open Era to win both the Cincinnati Open and US Open titles in the same season, following John McEnroe in 1981 and Andy Roddick in 2003.