The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has announced that starting in 2027, all combined WTA 1000 tournaments, including the Italian Open, will award equal prize money to both men and women. This initiative represents a significant milestone for gender equality in tennis, fulfilling a commitment first voiced by Billie Jean King, who highlighted the disparity in earnings during her 1970 title win in Rome, where she received $600 compared to Ilie Nastase's $3,500.
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WTA chair Valerie Camillo emphasized that achieving equal prize money across these tournaments displays the organization’s dedication to financial and competitive equality for athletes. Currently, other combined 1000 events in locations such as Indian Wells, California; Miami; Madrid; and Beijing, as well as all four Grand Slams, already provide equal prize funds.
This announcement follows a difficult period for the WTA, including the decision to relocate this year's WTA Finals from Saudi Arabia to Indian Wells, California, due to financial challenges. Although Italian Open organizers had previously pledged to equalize prize money by 2025, they fell short of this promise, with the men's total prize purse this year reaching $9.6 million compared to $8.3 million for women.
In addition to the equal prize money announcement, the WTA revealed plans for an expanded WTA 250 event in Manila, Philippines, slated for November 2027, coinciding with growing interest in local player Alex Eala, who is currently ranked 18th. Moreover, the WTA will reduce the annual commitment for players ranked in the top 50 from six to four WTA 500 tournaments, which will decrease their total playing commitment to 14 tournaments alongside the four Grand Slams.
These changes are part of a one-year pilot initiative for 2027, aimed at assessing their impact on the tour before making long-term decisions for subsequent years. Jessica Pegula, the third-ranked player and chair of the tour architecture council, voiced support, noting that the adjustments would allow players more flexibility in managing their schedules and personal goals.