In 1973, the US Open made another historic contribution to tennis.
It became the first Grand Slam tournament to award equal prize money to men and women. John Newcombe and Margaret Court each received $25,000 for winning their respective singles titles.
The decision was particularly significant in the context of Billie Jean King’s fight for equality and the rapid development of women’s professional tennis.
The US Open’s decision came decades before the other Grand Slam tournaments followed the same path, making New York a pioneer in the fight for equality in professional tennis.