WTA to Implement Equal Prize Money at Major Events by 2027

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has announced a significant initiative to award equal prize money to women and men at all combined WTA 1000 events starting in 2027. This decision is particularly noteworthy for the Italian Open, where, for the first time, women will receive the same total prize money as men, nearly six decades after Billie Jean King won her title there in 1970 for just $600, compared to Ilie Nastase's $3,500 prize for the men’s tournament that year.

Currently, all combined WTA 1000 events, which include tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, and Beijing, as well as all four Grand Slams, already provide equal prize money. The Italian Open, along with the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open, had been among the holdouts.

WTA chair Valerie Camillo described the initiative as a major milestone, asserting the organization’s commitment to achieving competitive and financial equality in women’s sports. This announcement comes at a challenging financial time for the WTA, which recently opted out of a three-year hosting agreement with Saudi Arabia for the WTA Finals, moving the event to Indian Wells, California.

In 2023, the total men's prize money at the Italian Open was $9.6 million, while the women's was $8.3 million. Initially, the Italian Open organizers had pledged to implement equal prize money starting in 2025 but did not fulfill this promise.

In addition to the prize money changes, the WTA also revealed an expanded WTA 250-level tournament in Manila, Philippines, scheduled for November 2027. This move follows the rising interest in Filipino player Alex Eala, currently ranked 18th.

Moreover, the required number of annual WTA 500 level tournaments for players within the top 50 has been decreased from six to four, leading to a total base commitment of 14 WTA tournaments and the four Grand Slams for the 2027 season. Camillo stated that these changes respond to player feedback regarding scheduling flexibility. Jessica Pegula, a third-ranked player and chair of the WTA’s tour architecture council, emphasized the importance of allowing players to customize their schedules to meet personal and professional goals.

The updates will be implemented on a trial basis in 2027 to assess their impact on the tour before making decisions for future seasons. Additionally, three events in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar will remain on the calendar for February, following the relocation of this year's WTA Finals from Saudi Arabia.