WTA thrilled to be part of China's tennis growth
On the other hand, Lawler, who was honored by Sports Business Journal as the 2012 "Game Changer: Women in Sports Business" award winner, said women’s players are worth the money Shenzhen offers.
"The satisfaction our team receives comes from the growth that the players themselves have driven, because they are super-professional and hardworking to allow us to push the envelope and change the rules to make it better for fans," she said, adding that only top players were making enough revenue to survive when she started working in the women's game.
Novak Djokovic, the former world No 1 with 13 Grand Slams championships and 5ATP Finals titles who now serves as president of the ATP Tour player council, said it's a fair payout, explaining "the women fight for what they deserve".
"I think, just by observing the whole situation, it is logical to invest a lot of money to bring the best players there. A lot of Chinese female players are breaking into the top 100 in the world, after Li Na opened those doors. Women's tennis is more popular than men's in China because of the success they've had with Li and other female players."
