Men's and women's pro tennis players will finally get equal pay at Canada's top tournament

Pay equality is coming to the biggest pro tennis tournament in Canada.

On Tuesday, the National Bank Open announced a deal to offer equal prize money at its tournaments starting in 2027.

The tournament, which offers men’s and women’s draws in alternating cities in Toronto and Montreal each year, is the second oldest active tournament in the world, having run the men’s draw since 1882 and the women’s draw since 1991.

“This is a really exciting day for professional tennis in Canada,” said Gavin Ziv, chief tournament officer at Tennis Canada. “Creating a clear path towards equal prize money at our tournament has been years in the making and it required a lot of work. Fortunately, with the help of the WTA and National Bank, that goal will become a reality in 2027 and we couldn’t be more delighted.”

“The announcement of parity by 2027 is a huge step forward for women in Canada and I hope this can lay the foundation for more progress,” Canadian professional player Rebecca Marino added.

Of the $19.3 million in funding via the Government of Canada’s Major Festivals and Events Support Initiative (MFESI), $9.3 million will be used in Toronto, with the remaining $10 million injected into Montreal.

The event also announced that it will expand to a 12-day event in 2025, with the exception of Olympic years, after previously only being a seven-day tournament.

“By offering equal prize money and adopting a new main 12-day draw format, the NBO will now be part of a select group of tournaments on both the Hologic WTA Tour and the ATP Tour,” added Ziv. “It’s largely because of their continuous commitment that our tournament has become one of the best sports events in the world, and they should all share in that triumph today.”

This year’s tournament is set to take place from August 4 to 13.

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