Charleston Open Plans to Start Awarding Equal Prize Money to men and women from 2026

Charleston Open will grant women players equal prize money with men from the year 2026 onwards. The resounding news came hot from the press during the wrap-up of the 2025 tournament, and Credit One Bank has already confirmed its title sponsorship until 2031.

The Charleston Open is one of the biggest women-only tennis tournaments in North America, and the WTA 500 tier pertains just below Grand Slams and Masters events. With this decision, the Charleston Open would be the first WTA 500 tournament to guarantee equal prize money before a 2033 mandate for all WTA 1000 and 500 events.

Commenting on the decision to level gender equity in prize money, Credit One Bank’s Senior VP Amber Greenwalt said, “The tournament has always been about empowering women. It was the first women’s tournament in 1973 to offer $100,000 in prize money and be telecast free on network television. Tennis legend Rosie Casals won the first title that year, winning $30,000, the highest prize of any female player at that time.”

With $1.06 million in prize money is planned for the 2025 tournament, prize money equal to that of the men’s ATP 500 events, which is generally more than $2 million, begins from 2026. The exact figure will be announced at the same time as that of ATP 2026 prize money.

Tournament owner Ben Navarro said, “We’re proud to take this step. It honors the hard work of our athletes and sets an example for future generations.”

The Charleston Open also kicks off the clay court season for the WTA Tour. It features a singles draw of 48 players, a qualifying round with 28 players, and 16 teams in doubles.

This bold step not only continues the tournament’s legacy of pushing boundaries but also brings tennis one step closer to true equality.