WTA confirms ‘main milestone’ with equal prize cash at mixed occasions

Men and girls will obtain equal prize cash in any respect mixed 1000 occasions – the best degree of competitors outdoors of the Grand Slams – from subsequent yr, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has introduced.

Events at Indian Wells, California, Miami, Madrid and Beijing already met that dedication, in addition to all 4 Grand Slams,

However, the Italian Open, Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open will now additionally fall into line to fulfill a long-standing aim of the WTA, at occasions the place women and men each characteristic.

In 2023, Italian Open organisers had vowed to have equal prize cash from 2025 however didn’t comply with by way of on that pledge.

The complete males’s prize cash this yr in Rome was £7.3m whereas the ladies acquired £6.3m.

“Achieving equal prize cash throughout all mixed WTA 1000 tournaments is a significant milestone for tennis,” mentioned WTA chair Valerie Camillo.

“It demonstrates the WTA’s continued dedication to main the sports activities trade in delivering our athletes aggressive and monetary equality and is a testomony to the enduring nature of the founding imaginative and prescient of the WTA.”

The WTA has additionally introduced changes to the calendar to provide gamers higher flexibility.

Those alterations embrace a discount of WTA 500-level tournaments from six to 4, for gamers ranked inside the highest 50 within the globe.

And it should additionally enable gamers to interchange one eligible WTA 1000 match outcome with a stronger WTA 500 or 250 outcome on their rating.

“We have listened to participant suggestions on the calls for of the calendar, and responded with a significant discount in commitments,” added Camillo.

American globe quantity three Jessica Pegula added: “The 2027 modifications give us extra capability to construct our seasons round our personal targets – competitively and personally.

“That’s an impactful step ahead for gamers.”