The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has made a commitment to ensure equal prize money for women’s tennis events at Queen’s and Eastbourne by 2029, marking a significant step for gender equity in the sport.
Historic Return to Queen’s Club
Women’s tennis will return to The Queen’s Club in Baron’s Court, London, for the first time in over 50 years, featuring a WTA 500 event scheduled for next week. This event will take place just before the traditional ATP 500 tournament, and it has attracted a strong lineup of players, including Madison Keys, Elena Rybakina, Emma Raducanu, and Katie Boulter.
Prize Money Breakdown
The women’s tournament will offer a total prize pool of US$1.415 million (£1.042 million), making it the largest purse available at a WTA 500 event of its kind this year. However, it remains significantly lower than the ATP event’s prize fund of $2,882,544 (£2,124,031).
Eastbourne Event Details
At the WTA Eastbourne event, which has been reclassified as a WTA 250 event to accommodate the new Queen’s tournament, the prize money will increase to $389,000 (£286,570), also the highest for its category this year. In comparison, the corresponding ATP event boasts a prize fund of $865,000 (£637,221).
LTA’s Financial Commitment
This year, the LTA has voluntarily increased the prize money for women’s events by £397,738 beyond the minimum requirements set by the WTA, demonstrating its dedication to enhancing financial support for female athletes.
Challenges and Expectations
The LTA acknowledges that grass court events are costly to organize, forecasting a loss of £4 million from its 2024 events, despite the ATP Queen’s tournament’s success. Nevertheless, the organization aims to gradually elevate its financial backing for women’s competitions and is optimistic that the Queen’s WTA event will ultimately prove profitable.
Encouraging Fan Engagement
The response to the women’s event has been promising, with over 80% of tickets already sold. An effort to diversify the fanbase is evident, as 55% of ticket buyers for the Queen’s WTA 500 event are women.
Leadership Statements
“We are making significant increases this year to the women’s prize money at Queen’s and Eastbourne and want to achieve equal prize money as soon as possible,” stated Scott Lloyd, the CEO of the LTA. “The LTA is committed to growing women’s tennis, both at the professional and grassroots levels, and this move is an important part of that commitment.”
This article and its subheading were amended on 5 June 2025. Due to an editorial error, a previous version incorrectly converted $1.415 million to £843,705 instead of £1.042 million.
