WTA Plans Pay Parity in Top Events by 2027
The governing body of women's tennis recently announced changes to its tournament structure, aiming to achieve equal prize money for both men and women at combined WTA 1000 and 500 events starting in 2027.
The governing body of women's tennis recently announced changes to its tournament structure, aiming to achieve equal prize money for both men and women at combined WTA 1000 and 500 events starting in 2027. While the four Grand Slam tournaments have already implemented equal prize money, WTA Tour events have often offered less money compared to men's ATP circuit events. The WTA now plans to address this issue through its new strategy.
To ensure sustainable changes for players and tournaments in the long term, the increase in prize money will be implemented gradually. By 2027, WTA 1000 and 500 combined events will achieve prize money parity, while single-week WTA 1000 and 500 events will reach parity by 2033. The WTA, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, aims to inspire women in other sports and walks of life by being a global leader in providing opportunities.
The revised WTA calendar will feature 10 WTA 1000 events, including larger fields in Beijing (2024) and Cincinnati/Toronto/Montreal (2025). Additionally, there will be one-week WTA 1000 events in Doha, Dubai, and a venue yet to be named. Wuhan will not be a WTA 1000 event, while Monterrey, Strasbourg, and Seoul have been promoted to the WTA 500 level.
New player entry rules will ensure consistent participation of top athletes in these premium events throughout the year, and the alignment between the WTA and ATP tours will become clearer with the increase in two-week WTA 1000 tournaments combined with the ATP.
The specific details of the WTA calendar for 2024 will be announced in the upcoming months.
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