'Major milestone': WTA announces equal prize money at Canadian Open, other tourneys in 2027
The WTA has announced that all combined 1000-level tournaments will offer equal prize money for men and women by 2027. This move includes the Canadian Open and the Italian Open, marking a significant step toward financial parity in professional tennis.
Why it matters
This initiative addresses long-standing gender pay gaps in professional sports and sets a new standard for equity in major international tennis events.
In 2027, nearly six decades after King's title at the Foro Italico, the Rome clay-court event will finally award women the same amount of total prize money as men, as part a "major milestone" initiative the WTA Tour announced Thursday.
The initiative means all combined ATP/WTA 1000 events will award equal prize money for the first time. Besides the Italian Open, the holdouts had been the Canadian (National Bank) Open and Cincinnati Open.
The other combined 1000 events in Indian Wells, California; Miami; Madrid and Beijing; as well as all four Grand Slams, already offer equal prize money.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in