LONDON – Wimbledon’s chief executive officer says tradition is the tennis tournament’s strength. Not so in one case, according to the British culture secretary, Tessa Jowell.

Ms. Jowell said last week that continuing to pay the women’s champion less than the men’s winner is “tarnishing the image” of the 129-year-old Grand Slam event, which began yesterday. The CEO of the women’s tennis tour, Larry Scott, said he agrees.

“Wimbledon does great things for the game, and it’s arguably the biggest stage in the sport,” Mr. Scott said. “Unfortunately, on the issue of equality, I don’t find that charming or appropriate. I think they’re out of touch with tennis and modern British society.”

Wimbledon, synonymous with grass courts and lovable British losers, is the only one of the sport’s four major tournaments where there is still a pay discrepancy. The French Open equalized pay for champions at this year’s event, where Rafael Nadal and Justine Henin-Hardenne each won $1.19 million.

Serena Williams, her sister Venus, and Lindsay Davenport, all former champions of Grand Slam events, have demanded equal pay for women. The new head of British tennis, Roger Draper, yesterday threw his support behind the women.

The men’s champion at Wimbledon will receive 655,000 pounds ($1.2 million), and the women’s winner will get $1.14 million. Switzerland’s Roger Federer, seeking a fourth straight title, and American Venus Williams are the defending champions. Men’s matches are best-of-five sets, while women play best-of-three.

The discrepancy in pay is one of several policies that separate Wimbledon from the U.S., French and Australian Opens. There’s no play on the middle Sunday, female players are referred to as “Miss” or “Mrs.” on court, and clothing must be predominantly white. The winners are officially referred to as the Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ champions.

While the organizers of the three other majors are public entities, Wimbledon is run by a private group, the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club.

“Our view of life is tradition,” the club’s CEO, Ian Ritchie, said. “I think it’s quite right that each Slam is different. I think it’s right that Wimbledon should be different as well.”

In an open letter to the club on June 19, Ms. Jowell said the women’s champion should receive equal pay because female players have become “highly competitive” and “extremely entertaining.” The Wimbledon women’s final has drawn higher American television ratings than the men’s since 2001, according to General Electric Co.’s NBC, which broadcasts the event.

“Coupled with that, the media attention and levels of global sponsorship are now on a par with the men’s game,” Ms. Jowell added. The letter didn’t threaten any government action on the issue. Ms. Jowell didn’t return a phone call seeking comment.

A poll commissioned for the women’s tour and released June 23 found that 80% of Britons say female tennis players should receive equal pay. The survey of 1,012 adults was conducted June 14-15.

“We’re the premier sport for women,” Venus Williams told reporters on Sunday. “We would like to empower women around the world by showing that we are willing to fight for equality.”