WTA announced that from 2027, all combined WTA 1000 tournaments will award the same amount of prize money to women and men, marking another step toward financial equality in professional tennis. The measure will bring the Italian Open, the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open into the group of tournaments in this category that already offer equal prize money, alongside Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Beijing.
The decision carries particular significance in Rome, where the difference between men’s and women’s prize money has been part of a history dating back to the early days of the women’s professional circuit. In 1970, Billie Jean King received $600 for winning the women’s Italian Open title, while Ilie Nastase took home $3,500 for winning the men’s tournament. Almost six decades later, the Foro Italico is preparing to award the same total prize money to both draws for the first time.
A historic gap comes to an end at WTA 1000 tournaments
The equalization announced by the WTA means that, from 2027, all combined WTA 1000 tournaments will offer equal prize money. The four Grand Slams already meet this standard, as do Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Beijing. With the addition of the Italian Open, the Canadian Open and Cincinnati, all combined WTA 1000 tournaments will award the same amount of prize money to their women’s and men’s draws.
The situation in Rome is particularly significant because of the gap that remained in recent editions. In 2023, organizers of the Italian tournament had committed to achieving equal prize money from 2025, but that deadline was not met. In 2026, the tournament allocated $9.6 million to the men’s draw, compared with $8.3 million for the women. For 2027, the WTA plans to close that gap and make the Foro Italico one of the venues where financial equality is achieved across both competitions.
Greater flexibility for players in the 2027 calendar
The reform announced for 2027 is not limited to prize money. The WTA will also modify some requirements related to season planning, particularly for players ranked among the top 50. The number of WTA 500 tournaments they will be required to play each year will be reduced from six to four, establishing a base commitment of 14 WTA tournaments, in addition to the four Grand Slams.
The changes also include the expansion of a WTA 250 tournament in Manila, Philippines, a decision that comes amid growing interest in local player Alex Eala, who is currently ranked No. 18. The WTA explained that these changes will be implemented as a one-year pilot program in 2027 and that their impact will be assessed before potential adjustments are made for 2028 and subsequent seasons. The work behind the new structure involved the circuit architecture council, chaired by Jessica Pegula, who highlighted the greater flexibility players will have to organize their seasons according to their competitive and personal goals.
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