The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has announced that men and women will receive equal prize money in all combined WTA 1000 events for the first time in history, in perfect alignment with one of the organization’s core objectives since its founding more than 50 years ago. Changes to player tournaments were also unveiled.
The 1000 events are the highest level of competition outside of the Grand Slams, and this is a game changer for women’s tennis. The equal prize scheme has already been implemented at events in Indian Wells, California, Miami, Madrid, and Beijing, as well as the United Cup and all four Grand Slams.
The Italian Open, Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open were the exceptions to this rule and are now expected to adopt it starting from 2027 at events where men and women both feature. Italian Open organisers had promised to implement equal prize money from 2025 in 2023, but they reneged on their promise. The £6.3million total women’s prize money this year in Rome fell short of the £7.3million prize money the men received.
This milestone is the result of more than five decades of hard work to advance equality in professional tennis.
The work was inaugurated by the Original 9, Billie Jean King and more than 60 pioneering players when they founded the WTA in 1973, driven by an intense dedication to ensuring women had the opportunity to compete, succeed and be valued equally, a principle that drives the organization’s operations to this day.
Valerie Camillo, WTA chair, backed the groundbreaking move in a statement.
“Achieving equal prize money across all combined WTA 1,000 tournaments is a major milestone for tennis,” said Camillo.
“It demonstrates the WTA’s continued commitment to leading the sports industry in delivering our athletes competitive and financial equality, and is a testament to the enduring nature of the founding vision of the WTA,” added Camillo.
The 2027 WTA Tour will bring the world’s best players to fans across 55 events in 26 countries and territories. The WTA also announced adjustments to the calendar, agreed upon by players and tournaments through the Tour Architecture Council to give players greater scheduling and flexibility while simultaneously preserving strong competition, compelling matchups and the world-class tournaments that define the Tour.
This change has reduced the number of WTA 500-level tournaments that players ranked in the top 50 in the global rankings are required to play from six to four. It also gives players room to replace one eligible WTA 1,000 tournament result with a stronger WTA 500 or 250 result on their ranking.
“We have listened to player feedback on the demands of the calendar, and responded with a meaningful reduction in commitments,” said Camillo.
American world number three and chairwoman of the Tour Architecture Council, Jessica Pegula, expressed satisfaction with the changes.
“The 2027 changes give us more ability to build our seasons around our own goals – competitively and personally. That’s an impactful step forward for players,” said Pegula.
“As players, we’re on the road most of the year, so having more flexibility in our schedules and commitments makes a real difference,” added Pegula.
WTA Investment Fund
The WTA also unveiled a targeted Tournament Investment Fund designed to assist select tournaments by channeling financial support to markets where it will have the greatest impact on the tour and the organisation’s founding tenets.
“And our new Tournament Investment Fund is modelled after central funding models common to other professional sports leagues in that it will target financial support to select markets to the benefit of the overall health of the Tour and in furtherance of WTA’s strategic mission,” said Camilla.
“None of this would have been possible without the incredible work and determination of the Tour Architecture Council, which has given players and tournaments a re-energised voice in shaping the future of the Tour. I especially want to thank Jessica Pegula for her leadership as Chair of the Council, as well as all of the players and tournaments who contributed to this work.”
The WTA tour is a global phenomenon and the 2027 season will bring elite women’s tennis to new and established destinations around the world. A new WTA 250 tournament is scheduled to take place in Manila, Philippines, as part of a series of events building anticipation toward the WTA Finals in Charlotte, North Carolina.
These unique but interwoven changes are crucial to the present and future of the sport. The 2027 season will serve as a pilot to determine the feasibility, assess the impact, and inform future decision pathways. It encourages greater women’s participation by exploring uncharted territories and financial opportunities on a global scale. Executed correctly, it has the potential to make the WTA Finals the biggest women-themed sports competition globally.
