The organizers of the Italian Open have confirmed that the tournament will begin to award equal prize money to both men and women starting in 2025.
This move comes after Iga Swiatek won the women’s competition last year, and with it, 332,260 euros ($364,000) in prize money. This is less than half of the 836,355 euros ($916,000) that Novak Djokovic was paid for winning the men’s tournament.
“For the first time in history, we have started the process that over three years will lead to equal prize money between the women’s and the men’s tournaments,” Italian tennis federation president Angelo Binaghi stated during the presentation for this year’s event on Tuesday. “We’re talking about 8 million euros (nearly $9 million) for each event.”
Billie Jean King often explained that her reason for moving to form the women’s pro circuit was due to the pay discrepancy. King won $600 for her 1970 Italian Open title, while Ilie Nastase was awarded $3,500 for winning the men’s event that same year.
