The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has announced a commitment to achieve equal prize money for women’s tennis at its new Queen’s Club tournament and the mixed event in Eastbourne by 2029 at the latest. This move marks a significant step toward addressing the prize money disparity between male and female players in the UK’s grass-court season, which has long been a point of discussion within the sport.
Women’s tennis is set to make a notable return to the Queen’s Club in Barons Court, west London, after more than five decades. Starting next week, a WTA 500 event will be held at the venue, a week ahead of the traditional men’s ATP 500 tournament. The new women’s event boasts an impressive player lineup, including Madison Keys, Elena Rybakina, Emma Raducanu, and Katie Boulter, generating excitement among fans and players alike.
The prize money for the women’s tournament at Queen’s is set at approximately £1.042 million ($1.415 million), making it the highest purse for a WTA 500 event of its draw size this year. Despite this milestone, the prize money for women remains roughly half of that offered at the men’s ATP event, where the prize pool stands at around £2.12 million ($2.88 million). This disparity underscores the ongoing challenges in achieving full parity, but the LTA’s pledge signals a clear intent to bridge this gap in the coming years.
Meanwhile, the WTA Eastbourne tournament, which has been downgraded to a WTA 250 event to accommodate the new Queen’s tournament, will see its prize money increase to about £286,570 ($389,000). This makes Eastbourne the highest-paying WTA 250 event on the tour. Still, the ATP event at Eastbourne offers a significantly larger prize pool of around £637,221 ($865,000), continuing the trend of higher financial rewards on the men’s side. The LTA has voluntarily contributed an additional £397,738 to women’s prize money this year beyond the minimum required by the WTA, reflecting a commitment to supporting female athletes.
Running grass-court tournaments is notably expensive, and the LTA’s events in 2024 reportedly operated at a £4 million loss, despite the continued success of the men’s ATP Queen’s tournament. This financial challenge partly explains the cautious approach to prize money increases. However, the LTA remains optimistic that the new Queen’s WTA event will grow to profitability, enabling further investment in women’s tennis.
Ticket sales for the Queen’s WTA event have been strong, with over 80% sold well in advance. The tournament has also attracted a more diverse audience than usual, with women accounting for 55% of ticket buyers. This shift in demographics is an important factor for the LTA, which sees the women’s event as a way to engage new fans and broaden tennis’s appeal.
Scott Lloyd, the chief executive of the LTA, emphasized the organization’s commitment to growing women’s tennis at both the professional and grassroots levels. He highlighted the prize money increases at Queen’s and Eastbourne as significant steps in that direction, expressing hope to achieve equal prize money as soon as possible. The LTA’s strategy aims not only to close the financial gap but also to enhance the visibility and status of women’s tennis in the UK’s summer tennis calendar.
The return of women’s tennis to Queen’s Club, coupled with increased financial support and fan engagement, signals a renewed focus on gender equality in the sport. While the current prize money disparity remains an issue, the LTA’s plan to reach parity by 2029 provides a clear timeline and commitment. This development is likely to inspire other tournaments and governing bodies to reconsider their prize money structures, contributing to a broader movement for fairness and equality in tennis worldwide.
