WTA to pay equal prize money at all combined WTA 1000 events from 2027

The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has announced that men and women will receive equal prize money at all combined WTA 1000 tournaments from 2027.

Three combined events did not yet pay equally: the Italian Open, the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open. They will now do so. The combined 1000 events at Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Beijing already offered equal prize money, as do all four Grand Slams. According to BBC Sport, WTA 1000 events are the highest level of competition outside the Grand Slams.

In 2023, Italian Open organisers pledged equal prize money from 2025. They did not follow through. At this year's event in Rome, total men's prize money was higher than total women's. BBC Sport gives the totals as £7.3m for men and £6.3m for women. The Guardian gives them as $9.6m and $8.3m. The reports do not state the exchange basis used.

According to The Guardian, Billie Jean King has often said she was moved to form the women's professional circuit after earning $600 for her 1970 Italian Open title. Ilie Nastase took home $3,500 for winning the men's event that year, the newspaper reported.

Calendar changes

From 2027, players ranked in the top 50 will be required to play four WTA 500 tournaments instead of six, as part of changes the WTA says will run as a one-year pilot. According to The Guardian, this gives a total base commitment of 14 WTA tournaments plus the four Grand Slams in 2027. According to BBC Sport, players will be allowed to replace one eligible WTA 1000 result in their ranking with a stronger WTA 500 or 250 result.

The Guardian also reported an expanded WTA 250 event in Manila, the Philippines, for 2027. It linked this to strong interest in home player Alex Eala, whom it reports is ranked 18th.

According to The Guardian, the WTA said the 2027 updates "will be implemented as a one-year pilot". It will then "evaluate the impact of the changes across the tour to inform decisions for 2028 and beyond". The reports do not make clear whether the pilot covers prize-money parity or only the calendar changes.

What each side says

BBC Sport quoted WTA chair Valerie Camillo as saying: "Achieving equal prize money across all combined WTA 1,000 tournaments is a major milestone for tennis." She also said: "We have listened to player feedback on the demands of the calendar, and responded with a meaningful reduction in commitments."

According to The Guardian, the WTA relied heavily on its tour architecture council, a working group chaired by world number three Jessica Pegula. The Guardian quoted Pegula as saying: "As players, we’re on the road most of the year, so having more flexibility in our schedules and commitments makes a real difference." BBC Sport quoted her as saying: "That's an impactful step forward for players."

What the reports do not say

The reports do not give 2027 prize amounts or say how the increase will be funded. They do not say whether men's prize money will change. They include no comment from the three events' organisers or from the ATP.

Analysis

The announcement closes the remaining pay gap at combined WTA 1000 events, but its practical effect depends on details the reports do not include, such as 2027 prize amounts and how the increase will be funded. Rome's unmet 2023 pledge shows that commitments and delivery can diverge, so implementation may draw scrutiny. If the one-year pilot also covers parity, the policy could be revisited for 2028. If it covers only the calendar, parity may be more settled. The lighter schedule responds to player concerns about workload. Its effect on tournament fields and smaller events remains to be seen.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.