The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has elevated the variety of ladies’s tournaments it would set up throughout the first quarter of 2023 to 114, with a document $3.3 million on supply for gamers as a part of its push for gender parity.
Women’s occasions on the schedule from Jan. 1 to March 30 are up 15 on 2022, with a brand new W40 degree of competitors value $40,000 in prize cash that will increase tournaments above the $15,000 and $25,000 entry class to 150. The world governing physique of tennis added that the full prize cash on the 2023 ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour – which gives entry-level and mid-level tournaments – would additionally enhance by 10% to a document $16.5 million.
The $3.3 million complete prize cash on supply within the first quarter represents a 25% enhance on the identical interval in 2022 and a 50% enhance on 2019, it mentioned. Two-times singles Grand Slam champion Mary Pierce, who’s on the ITF Board of Directors and chairs its ladies’s participant panel, mentioned that the physique was dedicated to gender equality and inclusion in any respect ranges globally.
“We’ve put a lot of focus on this through our Advantage All commitment designed to develop tennis as an equal opportunities sport,” Pierce mentioned in an announcement.
“That’s been driving lots of funding, selections and motion within the skilled recreation, together with the creation of the W40 class of tournaments introduced at present.
“We’ve also worked hard to structure a calendar of opportunities for men and women on the ITF World Tennis Tour that makes playing and touring easier to schedule and more cost-effective for our professional players, coaches and families.”
The calendar additionally options greater than 100 occasions for males on the M15 and M25 ranges, with over $2 million prize cash on supply for the primary time.
