The WTA has announced that every combined WTA 1000 tournament will offer equal prize money to women and men in 2027, as part of a new calendar and a package of reforms intended to give players more control over their schedules.
The WTA said its 2027 tour would comprise 55 events across 26 countries and territories. It will include a new WTA 250 tournament in Manila, while the calendar will build toward the WTA Finals in their new home of Charlotte, North Carolina.
The equal-prize-money commitment at combined WTA 1000 events is the headline change. Rome, the National Bank Open in Montreal or Toronto, and Cincinnati will reach parity in 2027, joining Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Beijing. The WTA also said the United Cup and all four Grand Slams had committed to equal prize money for women and men.
For players, the calendar alterations include a reduction in compulsory WTA 500 appearances for those in the top 50. The requirement will fall from six events to four, reducing their base WTA commitment to 14 tournaments in addition to the four Grand Slams, according to the WTA’s announcement and reporting on the new structure.
Equal prize money across the combined 1000 events
The WTA described the 2027 change as the first occasion on which all combined WTA 1000 tournaments will award the same prize money to women and men. Its list of events makes clear that the three tournaments newly reaching the position are Rome, Canada and Cincinnati.
The changes agreed through the Tour Architecture Council have been approved by the WTA Board of Directors. The association said the agreement responded directly to player feedback on the need for greater scheduling flexibility, while balancing the need for strong player fields across tournaments.
WTA chair Valerie Camillo said the organisation had responded to feedback about the demands placed on players by the calendar. She said the prize-money development represented a major milestone in tennis and reflected the WTA’s objective of competitive and financial equality for its athletes.
The WTA linked the announcement to its founding commitment to give women equal opportunity to compete, succeed and be valued. While the organisation framed the change in that wider context, the practical detail is specific: all of the combined WTA 1000 events named for 2027 will have equal prize money.
Fewer mandatory 500 events in one-year pilot
The calendar package also addresses the volume of required tournaments. Under an initial one-year pilot, top-50 players will be required to play four WTA 500 events rather than six. The change reduces the base number of WTA commitments to 14, before the four Grand Slams are included.
Players will also be able to replace one eligible WTA 1000 result in their ranking with a better result achieved at a WTA 500 or WTA 250 tournament. The change gives players an additional ranking-results option and is part of the WTA’s stated effort to provide greater scheduling flexibility.
The measures were agreed through the Tour Architecture Council, a group bringing together player, tournament and WTA representatives. World No. 3 Jessica Pegula chairs the council. Pegula said the new approach would give players more freedom to build seasons around personal and competitive objectives.
The WTA said the measures were designed to provide greater scheduling flexibility while maintaining strong fields and competition.
New event and targeted tournament support
Alongside the calendar changes, the WTA confirmed a new WTA 250 event in Manila. The organisation said the 2027 programme would take elite women’s tennis to both established and new destinations before building towards the Finals in Charlotte.
A Tournament Investment Fund will also be introduced to provide targeted financial support to selected markets. The WTA said the fund is intended to assist tournaments where support could have the greatest impact, including in advancing its equal-prize-money initiative and broader strategic aims.
The 2027 programme therefore combines a 55-event calendar with changes to player obligations and tournament funding. The scheduling and ranking changes will operate as a one-year pilot, with the WTA to evaluate their impact for decisions from 2028 onward.