Charleston Open makes history by committing to pay prize money equivalent to ATP 500 events from 2026
Charleston Open has become the first WTA 500 tournament to offer equal prize money before the 2033 deadline.
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Charleston Open will pay equal prize money from 2026 (Image via X/Charleston Open)
Credit One Bank, the title partner of the Charleston Open which is owned by World No.11 Emma Navarro‘s billionaire dad Ben Navarro, has extended its partnership with the tournament through 2031. And it’s good news for the WTA players!
From 2026 onward, the Charleston Open has committed to pay prize money equivalent to the ATP 500 tournaments. This made Charleston Open the first WTA 500 tournament to increase the prize money ahead of the 2033 deadline. All single-week WTA 1000 and 500 tournaments will have to increase their prize money before the deadline.
At the Credit One Charleston Open, we believe in fostering an environment where all athletes are recognized and rewarded for their talent and dedication. Providing equal prize money in 2026 is a significant step toward creating a more inclusive and equitable future for tennis. We are proud to take this action as part of our ongoing commitment to support fairness in sports and lead by example for the next generation.
Ben Navarro said in a statement
The WTA 500s are below the Grand Slam and WTA 1000 events. Charleston Open is a nine-day event with a draw of 48 players. It’s the largest women’s only tennis tournament in North America and is the first tournament of the clay swing on the WTA tour. The tournament also won the WTA 500 Tournament of the Year for the third consecutive year.
Jessica Pegula hopes other tournaments emulate what Ben Navarro did for the Charleston Open
The 2025 Charleston Open saw the first all-American final in three decades. Jessica Pegula, the first seed, overcame Sofia Kenin despite trailing 1-5 in the second set, to bag her second title of the season following the ATX Open. Following the match, she made her feelings known about Charleston Open owner Ben Navarro’s latest prize money announcement.
So to be able to kind of set the tone and be probably the first person, I think, to do that. Yeah, first 500, right? It’s huge. And I think when you’re setting that tone, that sets a trend for other tournaments to do the same. So that’s really, really cool.
Jessica Pegula said during the press conference
It was Pegula’s fourth and the second consecutive final of the season following the Miami Open, which she lost to World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets. The 31-year-old has now won 17 of her last 19 matches and has surpassed Coco Gauff to become American No.1 and reached a career-high World No.3.
It was also her first trophy on clay. She also became the 10th American to win the Charleston Open. Pegula will now shift her focus to the Stuttgart Open, which starts on April 14. Last year on the clay swing, the American ace only played the Charleston Open and skipped the rest of the tournament because of neck and back injuries.
What will be the prize money for the 2025 Charleston Open?
Jessica Pegula pocketed $164,000 after winning the Charleston Open. The total prize pool for this edition was $1,064,510.
From next year, the total prize money will be approximately $1.15 million (though the exact prize pool will be decided later). The prize pool is expected to increase to match the ATP 500s as many men’s tournaments of this category offer more than $2 million.
They were the first WTA event to offer $100,000 as prize money in 1973. Rosie Casals, the champion of the first edition, earned $30,000, which was the highest prize money given to a WTA player at that time in that category. Charleston Open was also the first WTA event to be broadcast live on television.
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