More elite-level events to award equal prize money — SkimNews
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- WTA announced that all combined WTA 1,000 events will award equal prize money starting in 2027, ending the gap at the highest level of competition outside the Grand Slams.
- Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Beijing had already achieved equal pay, along with all four Grand Slams, while the Italian Open, Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open were the holdouts now brought into line.
- Italian Open organisers vowed in 2023 to deliver equal prize money from 2025 but failed to honour it, with men earning £7.3m and women £6.3m in Rome this year.
- WTA chair Valerie Camillo called equal pay across all combined WTA 1,000 tournaments "a major milestone for tennis" and a demonstration of the tour's commitment to "financial equality."
- The WTA also cut the number of WTA 500 tournaments top-50-ranked players must play from six to four and will let them swap one WTA 1,000 result for a stronger WTA 500 or 250 result on their ranking.
- World number three Jessica Pegula said the 2027 changes give players "more ability to build our seasons around our own goals — competitively and personally."
Why it matters: The WTA closes the pay gap across its elite combined events, ending a long-standing shortfall at three major tournaments where women earned less for the same competition. The £1m gap at the Italian Open this year highlights how recently the imbalance persisted, while the calendar reforms give top players more scheduling freedom — a concession the WTA framed as responsive to direct player feedback.
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