Equal prize money at all combined 1000s from 2027
Men and women will earn equal prize money at every combined 1000 tournament from 2027. The WTA confirmed the plan in its 2027 calendar announcement, stating that for the first time every combined WTA 1000 event will pay equally. WTA
Combined 1000 events are the highest level of regular tour tennis outside the four Grand Slams. That means the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open sit above them, but nothing else does. At a combined event the men's ATP and women's WTA play side by side at the same venue in the same week. The 2026 WTA schedule lists 10 WTA 1000 tournaments in total.
Four combined 1000s already paid the same to both tours. Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Beijing had closed the gap, and so have all four Slams. Three tournaments will now join them: Rome, the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open. BBC Sport
Rome gives the numbers behind the decision. This season the men's prize pot in Rome totalled £7.3m while the women's pot stood at £6.3m. Organisers had vowed in 2023 to pay equally from 2025 but did not follow through.
The announcement follows earlier targets set by the women's tour. The WTA set 2027 as the target year for combined 1000 and 500 events to reach equal pay when it laid out its pathway in 2023 and 2024. Single-week events, those staged without a men's counterpart, were given a later target of 2033. Last month WTA chair Camillo said equal pay remained an important goal while the tour also weighed alternatives including a profit-sharing model. Reuters
The 2027 calendar also changes playing requirements. Players ranked inside the world's top 50 will have to play four WTA 500 events, down from six. The 500s are the tier below the 1000s, the week-to-week tournaments that fill much of the season. Players will also be able to swap out one eligible 1000 result for a stronger score from a 500 or 250 when their ranking is calculated. The ranking is the points table that decides seedings, the system that stops the best players meeting early.
For fans, this means simpler maths. Same venue in the same week will now mean the same prize money. No separate tables. No asterisk.
