WTA Announces Equal Prize Money for Women at All Combined WTA 1000 Tournaments by 2027

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has announced that all combined WTA 1000 tournaments will offer equal prize money for women and men starting in 2027. This decision includes prominent events such as the Italian Open, which had been one of the last holdouts in achieving this parity.

Billie Jean King, a pioneering figure in women’s tennis, has frequently cited the disparity in prize money from her 1970 Italian Open victory—earning $600 compared to Ilie Nastase's $3,500 for the men’s title—as a motivating factor for establishing the women’s professional circuit. Nearly sixty years later, in 2027, the Italian Open will finally provide equal prize money for both genders, marking a significant milestone for women's tennis.

Currently, most other combined WTA 1000 events, including those in Indian Wells, California; Miami; Madrid; and Beijing, along with all four Grand Slam tournaments, already offer equal financial rewards. The Canadian and Cincinnati Opens had been the remaining events not offering parity. Valerie Camillo, WTA chair, remarked that achieving equal prize money across all combined WTA 1000 tournaments demonstrates the association's commitment to financial equality in sports and honors the original vision of the WTA.

In a previous commitment, the Italian Open organizers had pledged for equal prize money beginning in 2025, although they did not follow through. In 2023, the total prize money for the men's tournament in Rome was approximately $9.6 million, while the women received $8.3 million.

Additionally, the WTA has announced an expansion of its WTA 250-level tournament in Manila, Philippines, spurred by the rising interest in local player Alex Eala, who is currently ranked 18th. The organization has also reduced the requirement for players ranked in the top 50 from six annual WTA 500 tournaments to four, resulting in a total commitment of 14 WTA tournaments plus the four Grand Slams by 2027.

Jessica Pegula, the third-ranked player and chair of the tour architecture council, explained the importance of flexibility in scheduling for players who spend much of their time on the road. She noted that the changes for 2027 allow players to better tailor their seasons to their competitive and personal goals. The WTA plans to implement these updates as a one-year pilot in 2027 to assess their impact before making decisions for 2028 and beyond.