Will the WTA Tour run out of money? Why the women’s game should be well placed to thrive
The future of the WTA Tour is set to be an ongoing topic of discussion heading into 2027 amid reports that the organisation is battling to maintain its financial position moving forward.
A report in England’s Daily Telegraph newspaper suggested the WTA could suffer operating losses after a lucrative deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund came to an end, meaning their end-of-season WTA Finals have been moved from from the Arab kingdom to America.
Increased prize money and less lucrative broadcasting deals compared to the men’s ATP Tour may also have stretched WTA Tour budgets, even though the game is in a great position with some of the biggest names in women’s sport playing tennis.
Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka and Alex Eala are generating huge interest for sports fans around the world, with Gauff emerging as the highest-paid female sports star in the world over the last two years, according to Forbes.
Four of the top five highest-paid athletes play on the WTA Tour, with Gauff earning an estimated $33million from prize money and sponsorship in 2025, while Sabalenka is reported to have earned $30million over the same period.
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Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek is estimated to have earned $25.1million last year and Filipina star Eala is certain to join that rich list soon after emerging as the new big superstar of women’s tennis this year.
With so many big names promoting the women’s game, the report of financial challenges may have been unexpected and it will spark a fresh debate over whether the women’s and men’s game should work together for the good of the sport.
Talks over a potential merger of the WTA and ATP Tours have been mentioned for many years, but they have always broken down and former US Open finalist Greg Rusedski believes they will find a way to ensure women’s tennis is sustainable moving forward.
“If you look at the highest paid female athletes in the world, there’s usually two or three tennis players on the list,” said Rusedski, in an episode of his Off Court podcast that will be released on Monday.
“The WTA will find sponsors, but they have to find the right brands and right partners.
“They have a lot of upsides. Eala has been huge for them. Every time she plays, it’s sold out. Sabalenka is a great character, Elena Rybakina the new world No 1.
“They have to find a way to push it forward and get the right sponsors in.
“Combining the two tours? It has been spoken in the about in the past, but it never becomes a reality.
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“Everyone needs to sit in a room together and work out how this can be financially viable. If you combine the men’s and women’s game, you might be able to increase revenue for both.
“It’s all about personalities and names. If Eala played every match, the WTA could charge big money, but it can’t work like that.”
This story is set to run and run heading into 2027 and all in tennis will be hoping the women’s game remains financially healthy at a time when the action on the court is so compelling.
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