Dubai Tennis raises the bar: Women’s prize money surpasses men’s in 2025

Dubai: Dubai has always set new standards in tennis. It was here, 20 years ago, that Roger Federer and Andre Agassi played an unforgettable match on the Burj Al Arab’s helipad, creating one of the sport’s most iconic moments. Now, the Dubai Tennis Championships is making history again — this time by increasing prize money for women beyond what men will earn in 2025.

For years, the tournament has been a trailblazer, offering world-class facilities and championing equality in the sport. In 2015, it became one of the first to introduce equal prize money for men and women. Now, in its 25th year, the WTA Dubai Tennis Championships is going a step further — women players will take home a larger share of the prize pool, a rare move in professional tennis.

The 2025 edition will feature a total combined prize purse of $6.8 million, with women earning $3.7 million and men $3.1 million — an increase of $500,000 from last year when women received $3.2 million.

Sinead El Sibai, Senior Vice-President of Marketing at Dubai Duty Free, explained the reasoning behind this change and credited the late Colm McLoughlin for his pivotal role in ensuring equal prize money.

“The women earned lower than the men, and Colm said, ‘They’re playing in our tournament and playing for the same amount of time. So I want to give equal prize money.’ In 2005, we decided to have equal prize money,” El Sibai told Gulf News. “Of course, the women are taking home a slightly higher amount than men because it is a WTA 1,000 event, while the ATP remains a 500. I think it is fantastic.”

The Dubai Tennis Championships has steadily evolved over the years. It debuted as an ATP 250 event in 1993, was upgraded to ATP 300 in 2001 — the same year the women’s tournament was introduced — and continued to grow. The WTA event alternated between WTA 500 and WTA 1,000 status before receiving a permanent WTA 1,000 designation in 2024. Over the years, the tournament has garnered numerous accolades, winning a total of 38 ATP/WTA awards since its inception. Notably, the WTA week in 2019 was awarded the prestigious Premier 5 ‘Tournament of the Year Award,’ while the men’s tournament has claimed the ATP 500 Tournament of the Year award eleven times since 2003, voted on by ATP players.

The tournament has hosted some of the biggest names in tennis. Swiss star Martina Hingis won the inaugural edition, while Belgian great Justine Henin lifted the trophy four times. El Sibai remains in awe of Hingis’ achievement.

Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free and Chairman of the Tournament’s Organising Committee, reflected on one of the most unforgettable matches in the women’s event’s history — a second-round clash between Svetlana Kuznetsova and India’s Sania Mirza in 2007.

“There were many wonderful matches through the 25 years of the tournament, but this one stands out. The stadium was full, the audience was engaged in every point, and there was so much emotion in that game,” he recalled.

Mirza displayed remarkable character to defeat the reigning US Open champion 6-4, 6-2 and advance to the quarter-finals, marking one of the most memorable moments in the tournament’s history.

Dubai has long been a destination where tennis legends shine, but this year, it is making a statement beyond the court. By increasing the women’s prize money beyond that of the men’s event, the Dubai Tennis Championships is once again leading the way in shaping the future of the sport.