In a landmark move for British tennis, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has announced a significant increase in women’s prize money for the 2025 grass-court season, alongside a clear commitment to achieving equal prize money at the HSBC Championships (Queen’s Club) and the Lexus Eastbourne Open no later than 2029.
For the first time, all of the LTA’s summer grass-court tournaments will feature both ATP and WTA draws, offering fans the chance to watch top-tier men’s and women’s tennis on home soil. At Queen’s, a WTA 500 event will run alongside the ATP 500 draw, while Eastbourne will host both ATP and WTA 250 events.
In a strong statement of intent, the WTA 500 prize pool at Queen’s will rise to $1.415 million, making it the highest-paying WTA 500 of its draw size globally. Meanwhile, Eastbourne’s WTA 250 purse will increase to $389,000 — the largest on the WTA 250 circuit.
Despite a £4 million loss across its 2024 grass events, the LTA is doubling down on its investment in women’s tennis, driven by the sport’s surging popularity. The WTA reached over a billion fans worldwide in 2024, with a 25% spike in social followers.
LTA CEO Scott Lloyd affirmed the organisation’s commitment to building a profitable, visible future for women’s tennis in Britain. “We want to achieve equal prize money as soon as possible,” he said.
WTA CEO Portia Archer hailed the move as a “powerful message” that will “inspire new generations of girls picking up racquets.”
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