Starting in 2027, the WTA Tour will require equal prize money at every combined WTA 1000 event, including the Italian Open in Rome. The move changes the terms of competition at two tournaments that still pay men and women differently. The Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open are the remaining combined 1000 events without equal prize money. The WTA called the change a “major milestone.”
The policy forms part of a wider set of changes the tour plans to introduce in 2027, including expanded tournament access in Manila and reduced annual commitments for top-ranked players. The WTA said it will test the changes in a one-year pilot and evaluate their impact before making decisions for 2028 and beyond.
Prize Money and the Italian Open
The Rome clay-court event will reach prize-money parity nearly six decades after Billie Jean King received $600 for winning the 1970 Italian Open title, while Ilie Nastase received $3,500 for winning the men’s tournament that year. This year, men’s total prize money in Rome was $9.6 million, compared with $8.3 million for women.
Italian Open organizers pledged in 2023 to provide equal prize money starting in 2025, but didn’t fulfill that commitment. Under the WTA’s announced schedule, the event will offer equal prize money from 2027.
The other combined WTA 1000 tournaments already offering equal prize money are Indian Wells, California; Miami; Madrid; and Beijing. The announcement said all four Grand Slam tournaments also offered equal prize money.
WTA chair Valerie Camillo said: “Achieving equal prize money across all combined WTA 1000 tournaments is a major milestone for tennis. It demonstrates the WTA’s continued commitment to leading the sports industry in delivering our athletes competitive and financial equality and is a testament to the enduring nature of the founding vision of the WTA.”
Tour Calendar and Player Commitments
For 2027, the WTA also announced an expanded WTA 250-level tournament in Manila, Philippines, amid interest in home player Alex Eala, who is ranked 18th. The Philippines hosted a WTA 125-level tournament in January 2026.
Players ranked in the top 50 will have to compete in four WTA 500-level tournaments in 2027, down from six. Their total base playing commitment will be 14 WTA tournaments plus the four Grand Slams.
Camillo said the tour had “listened to player feedback on the demands of the calendar” and responded with “a meaningful reduction in commitments.” Jessica Pegula, ranked third and chair of the tour architecture council, said players are “on the road most of the year.” Greater flexibility, she said, “makes a real difference.”
Who Shaped the Changes
The tour architecture council, a working group chaired by Pegula, helped shape the announcements. The WTA also selected Charlotte, North Carolina, to host its flagship WTA Finals for the next three years in an NBA arena.
Pegula said the 2027 changes give players “more ability to build our seasons around our own goals — competitively and personally.” The WTA called the changes a one-year pilot and said it would “evaluate the impact of the changes across the tour to inform decisions for 2028 and beyond.”