WTA confirms equal prize money at all combined 1000 events from 2027

The Women's Tennis Association has announced that every combined 1000 tournament will offer equal prize money to men and women from 2027, according to BBC Sport. The decision brings the Italian Open, Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open into line with events that already provide equal payouts, extending the commitment across this tier of tournaments where both tours compete.

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The 1000 category is the highest level of competition below the four Grand Slams. Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Beijing already meet the equal-prize-money commitment, the BBC reported, as do all four majors. The latest announcement therefore concerns the remaining combined events rather than introducing equal pay across the entire tennis calendar. It fulfils a long-standing WTA objective for that group of tournaments.

Rome provides a recent example of the gap the change is intended to close. Italian Open organisers said in 2023 that they would introduce equal prize money from 2025, but that pledge was not implemented. According to the BBC's figures, the men's total prize fund at this year's tournament was £7.3 million, compared with £6.3 million for the women.

WTA chair Valerie Camillo described the agreement as an important achievement for tennis and linked it to the organisation's founding ambition of competitive and financial equality for its athletes. The prize-money announcement was accompanied by changes to players' tournament commitments and ranking rules, with the association also responding to feedback about the demands of the calendar.

Players ranked in the world's top 50 will have their WTA 500 tournament requirement reduced from six events to four. A separate adjustment will permit players to substitute a better result from a WTA 500 or WTA 250 event for one eligible WTA 1000 result in their ranking. The replacement provision applies to one eligible result, rather than allowing an unrestricted exchange of results between tournament categories.

American world number three Jessica Pegula welcomed the 2027 changes, BBC Sport reported. She said they would give players greater scope to shape their seasons around personal and competitive priorities. Camillo likewise presented the reduction in commitments as a response to players' concerns, placing greater scheduling flexibility alongside the financial changes in the WTA's announcement.