By Alberto Amalfi | @TennisNow | Thursday, August 15, 2024
Photo credit: Matthew Calvis

Players will get a pay raise on the World Tennis Tour next year.

The International Tennis Federation announced it will add $5 million in prize money, a 26% increase, into the 2025 World Tennis Tour. 

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A record total of $35.3 million will be on offer in 2025 where over 1,100 tournaments will be played across the world. This is a 20% increase on the $29.4 million total available in 2024.

The ITF said "increases are designed to help ease the challenging financial conditions experienced by many players, by increasing their earning capacity and, for women, reducing hotel costs - a key part of a player’s budget."

There are five tournament levels on the women’s ITF World Tennis Tour: W15 and W35 (entry level); W50, W75 and W100 (equivalent to ATP Challenger level). In 2025, there will be $20.7m total prize money available – a record total for the fourth consecutive year.

The 2025 structure will see a number of other enhancements to women’s events, which further narrow the gap between equivalent women’s and men’s tournaments. These include:

Mandatory hospitality at all W50 and W75 events to join the existing requirement at W100 tournaments (a total of 28,000 free nights’ accommodation to be provided for women, up from 5,000 nights in 2024)

W50 and W75 tournaments will provide a minimum of 3 nights’ accommodation for singles Main Draw players (4 nights at W100 level) as well as a minimum of 2 night’s accommodation for doubles players.

Increase in prize money at W75 level tournaments from $60,000 to $70,000 These enhancements build on an increase in recent years in the number of tournaments at the W50, W75, W100 level: from 76 in 2019 to over 150 in 2024.

There are two tournament levels on the men’s ITF World Tennis Tour – M15 and M25 (entry level). In 2025, there will be $14.6m total prize money available – a record total for the third consecutive year.

Prize money at the four entry level men’s and women’s World Tennis Tour tournaments will increase from $15,000 to $20,000, and $25,000 to $30,000. This will add $5 million of prize money into the game at entry level and represents a 26% increase on 2024.

In addition, the number of World Tennis Tour matches that will be live streamed will increase to over 22,000, including every match at M25, W50, W75 and W100 level events.

“The ITF World Tennis Tour is a key part of the tennis eco-system, and is the recognized pathway to the top level of the game," ITF President David Haggerty said. "Today’s announcement is further evidence of the ITF’s continued commitment to deliver better prize money, higher standards and sustainable scheduling which make the tour a fair and inclusive environment for female and male players to fulfil their potential.

“Crucially, another year of enhanced hospitality and accommodation for women and a fourth consecutive year of record prize money reflects our commitment to achieving gender parity at all levels. The progress we have seen on the ITF World Tennis Tour in recent years is continuing at great pace, and we are excited for the future.”