"Tennis needs to be a modern sport and one which reflects the wider world," Roger Draper said, in comments distancing himself from the stance taken by the All England Club, which jointly hosts the Grand Slam tournament with the LTA.

Wimbledon's stance on the issue had come under pressure in recent weeks from the British government and the women's tour, the WTA.

The men's champion at this year's Wimbledon will walk away with a cheque for £655,000, £40,000 more than the winner of the women's singles. The total prize fund for men's events is £5,197,440, compared to £4,446,490 for the women's events.

Tim Phillips, the chairman of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, has defended Wimbledon's policy largely on the grounds that the men play five-set matches, compared to three for the women.

"It's a judgement - we don't see it as an equal rights issue," Phillips said earlier this month.

The US and Australian Open have equal prize funds for men and women. The French Open awards equal amounts to the singles winners but still has a higher overall prize fund for men.