Venus and Serena Williams made feelings clear on gender pay gap after tennis made decision no other sport has

Venus and Serena Williams have never been afraid to speak up—and when it comes to fairness in tennis, they’ve been loud and clear. Years ago, when the world of sports was still dragging its feet on gender equality, tennis made a historic move: offering equal prize money to men and women at major tournaments. It was a decision that no other sport had dared to make at the time, and the Williams sisters played a major role in pushing that change forward.

Venus, in particular, became one of the loudest voices for equal pay. Back in 2007, she wrote a powerful piece demanding that Wimbledon—the oldest and most traditional of all the Grand Slam events—step up and do the right thing. She called out the unfairness plainly, asking why women who work just as hard and entertain just as much weren’t being paid the same as their male counterparts. Her courage paid off. That same year, Wimbledon finally agreed to award equal prize money to both men and women—a major win not just for tennis, but for women in sports everywhere.

Serena has also spoken out many times, using her platform as one of the most successful athletes in history to keep the conversation going. She’s talked about how women, especially women of color, are often undervalued—not just in sports but across all fields. She’s made it clear that it’s not just about money. It’s about respect.

Their efforts helped push tennis into the spotlight as a leader in gender equality. Today, all four Grand Slam tournaments pay men and women equally—something that’s still rare in most professional sports. Other sports, from soccer to basketball, are only just beginning to follow tennis’s example, and there’s still a long way to go.

What’s clear is this: without Venus and Serena, this change may have taken much longer—or not happened at all. They didn’t just dominate on the court. They used their voices to fight for what’s right, and they’ve inspired a whole generation of athletes, both male and female, to expect better.

At the end of the day, the Williams sisters reminded the world of something simple: equal work deserves equal pay. And thanks to them, tennis listened.