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The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) is making major changes to the WTA tour for next year and beyond, with plans to address equal pay with the ATP and a schedule that allows top players to consistently compete at high-level tournaments.
According to an announcement by the WTA on Tuesday, June 27, the main goal of revamping the circuit structure is to eventually attain equal pay for equal play, as envisioned 50 years ago by the organization's founder and tennis legend Billie Jean King.
The increase in prize money will happen gradually, with WTA 1000 and 500 events, which coincide with ATP events of a similar level, attaining equal prize money by 2027 and single-week 1000 and 500 tournaments by 2033. As for 250 tournaments, there will be a 34% increase in prize money from 2023 to 2033.
From 2024, the revised tour schedule will feature 10 1000-level tournaments. In addition, several of these events will transition to two weeks in length and larger draw sizes.
This change will take place for China Open (Beijing) next year and for Western and Southern Open (Cincinnati) and Canadian Open (Montreal/Toronto) by 2025. The BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells), Italian Open, Madrid Open, and Miami Open are already two-week tournaments. Three additional 1000 events will last one week in Doha, Dubai, and a yet-to-be-named host city.
This increase in two-week 1000 tournaments is an indication of WTA's intention to align itself more closely with the ATP tour.
In the updated calendar, the number of 500 tournaments will rise to 17: Adelaide, Brisbane, Abu Dhabi, Monterrey, Charleston, Strasbourg, Berlin, Stuttgart, Eastbourne, San Diego, Seoul, Tokyo, Washington, Zhengzhou, United Cup, and two yet-to-be-named events.
The 250 event circuit will focus on regional development and give more opportunities to local talents to make their mark. Meanwhile, the pool of WTA125 events will also expand to 40 over the next few years.
The WTA has also laid out new rules for the top-10 and top-30 players when it comes to their participation in 250-level events. The top-30 players can play at only two 250 tournaments per year.
In weeks with both a 500 event and a 250 event, a top-30 player will be obligated to play at the 500 event, if her ranking allows, unless she uses her 250 tournament exemption. In weeks with only 250 events, only one top-10 player will be allowed to play.
WTA returns to China in 2023 after a three-year hiatus
After staying out and refusing to hold events in China for three years, the WTA recently announced that tournaments would make a return to the Asian country in 2023.
The Women's Tennis Association initially suspended tournaments in China in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This suspension was extended in 2021 and 2022 due to the sudden disappearance of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, who accused a high-level Chinese official, Zhang Gaoli, of sexual assault in November 2021.
The organization demanded that Shuai's well-being must be ensured for events to return. However, seeing no progress on that front, the WTA has decided to bring back competition to China in 2023.
According to the 2023 calendar, the China Open will be held from September 30 to October 8 in Beijing, Elite Trophy in Zhuhai from October 30, 500 Zhengzhou Open from October 9, 250 Ningbo Open from September 25, 250 Guangzhou Open from September 18, and 250 Jiangxi Open from October 16.
