Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 20 March 2018
Naomi Osaka on her way

up with first pro tennis title

This is a Saturday, April 4, 2015, file photo of former tennis star
Martina Navratilova, right, as she poses with Serena Williams,
after Williams won the women's final match at the Miami Open
tennis tournament, in Key Biscayne, Fla.
Navratilova 'angry' at

pay gap to McEnroe

for BBC work

LONDON (AP) — Martina and John's role is of a differ-
Navratilova is "angry" and ent scale, scope and time
feels let down by the BBC commitment," the BBC said Naomi Osaka, right, of Japan, poses with her trophy after defeating Daria Kasatkina, left, of Russia,
after learning that John in a statement. "They are in the women's final at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Sunday, March 18, 2018, in Indian
McEnroe gets paid at least simply not comparable." Wells, Calif. Osaka won 6-3, 6-2. Associated Press
10 times more than her for The corporation said that
their broadcasting roles at while Navratilova is paid By BETH HARRIS very calm." every match this year, so I
Wimbledon. per appearance, has a AP Sports Writer As hesitant as she was be- think it's paid off," she said.
In a list of the BBC's highest- fixed volume of work and INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) hind the mic, Osaka was Born in Osaka, Japan, to a
paid workers published last has no contractual com- — Naomi Osaka had just polished and professional Haitian father and Japa-
year, it was revealed that mitment, McEnroe is on call won the first title of her ca- in dismantling Kasatkina, a nese mother, she moved to
McEnroe earned between for the entire 13 days of the reer and was waiting to be fellow 20-year-old who also the U.S. as a 3-year-old. She
150,000-199,999 pounds tournament, has a larger introduced for her post- enjoyed a surprising run to holds dual citizenship, living
($210,000-280,000) for work- breadth of work — includ- match comments. the final. for a time in New York and
ing at Wimbledon. ing radio and publicity — The 20-year-old from Japan Osaka dropped just one set now in South Florida while
Navratilova said she and has a contract that had prepared, knowing in seven matches, knock- representing Japan in Fed
gets paid 15,000 pounds means he cannot work for what she was going to say ing off two-time winner Ma- Cup.
($21,000). another British broadcaster and in what order. ria Sharapova, No. 5 Karoli- "I play now for myself," she
Navratilova, a nine-time without the BBC's permis- But then her name was na Pliskova and top-ranked said, "but when I was little,
singles champion at the sion. called. Simona Halep against I just played because I
All England Club, said she "He is a defining voice "I freaked out," she said. "I whom she won the last nine wanted to make my mom
was told by the BBC that within the BBC's coverage," just started saying whatev- games of the match. happy, mainly my mom,
she earns a "comparable the BBC said. "He is widely er came into my mind first, She arrived at Indian Wells and also my dad, for him to
amount, so ... we were not considered to be the best which is why I think I kept unseeded because of her be proud."
told the truth." expert/commentator in the stopping halfway through No. 44 ranking. She left Her parents and sister Mari,
"It's extremely unfair and sport, highly valued by our my sentences, because ranked No. 22 and with a a tennis player, too, weren't
it makes me angry for the audiences ... His pay re- I just remembered some- $1.3 million check, nearly on hand in California.
other women that I think flects all of this; gender isn't thing else I had to say. That double her career earn- Osaka and Kasatkina
go through this," Navratilo- a factor." was pretty embarrassing." ings. shared a private jet — their
va told "Panorama: Britain's Navratilova said her agent The crowd of 18,347 at the "I really wanted to win this, first such ride — to South
Equal Pay Scandal," a pro- will ask for more money in Indian Wells Tennis Gar- but also I just tried to think Florida, where they will
gram being aired on the future to work for the BBC. den on Sunday seemed to it was a first-round match play in the Miami Open this
BBC on Monday. The gender pay gap at sense Osaka's nervousness, and just not psych myself week. Osaka faces a first-
The BBC responded to the BBC has been a talk- something she worked out too much," Osaka said. round match against Ser-
Navratilova's comments by ing point since the salaries hard to hide during a 6-3, She had made it past the ena Williams, her idol grow-
saying that, as an "occa- of top BBC talent were re- 6-2 victory over Daria Ka- quarterfinals at a WTA ing up.
sional contributor," she ap- vealed last year. A review satkina of Russia in the BNP event just once before, los- "I feel like I just started win-
pears on fewer broadcasts commissioned by the BBC Paribas Open final. ing in the final at Tokyo 18 ning," Osaka said. "It's a
and is on a different type of found a 6.8 percent gen- "I was extremely stressed months ago. Now, she's new feeling for me to be
contract than McEnroe. der pay gap, but "no evi- and extremely nervous," 15-4 this year. this consistent, so I'm just
"John and Martina perform dence of gender bias in Osaka said. "But my plan "I feel like I have made it my trying to be happy about
different roles in the team, pay decision-making."q was to, like, fake that I'm goal to be more focused that."q