That takes the cake! Tennis fans clamor in outrage over gender inequality at tennis tournament after viral images of birthday celebrations
- Carlos Alcaraz got huge birthday cake at Madrid Open
- Women’s World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka donated smaller cake
- A tennis fan found the different cakes ‘misogynistic’
The issue of gender equality has been raised by some past and present tennis players and fans after Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka both celebrated their birthdays with different sized cakes on Friday.
World number two Alcaraz, 20, entered the Madrid Open – and the Spaniard was handed an impressive multi-layered cake.
It was in stark contrast to Belarusian star Sabalenka, 25, who seemed to fall short with her one-level offerings.
Canadian world number 27 Bianca Andreescu called out the difference online, posting the two cakes “didn’t look good.”
Former world number one Victoria Azarenka was equally dismayed.
Members of the tournament staff at the Madrid Open hold a large birthday cake for 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz from Spain
Fellow world number two Aryna Sabalenka also celebrated her birthday in Madrid on Friday – but was gifted a much smaller cake by tournament organizers
“Can’t be more precise about the treatment,” she said tweeted.
Many fans were also in disbelief, with one even going so far as to label tournament organizers as ‘misogynistic’.
“They are on the same rankings and have the same number of grand slams, Aryna [Sabalenka] has even more Masters [titles]but anyway, I call misogyny,” one reacted angrily to the two contrasting images.
Another said: ‘People say it’s because he’s Spanish [Alcaraz] and yes, that must be part of it…. but the difference in size between the cakes is INSANE.’
Tournament director Feliciano Lopez did not hold back then responded to Azarenka’s tweet.
“I am surprised by this reaction after this gesture! 1. Carlos had just won his match to reach the final. 2. He played on center court. 3. The tournament will be played in Spain,” he tweeted.
Both Alcaraz and Sabalenka – who also captured her first Grand Slam title in Melbourne Park earlier this year – won their respective finals in Madrid this weekend.