WTA, or Women’s Tennis Association, is the principal organizing body of professional women’s tennis, overseeing the women’s tennis tour globally. Founded in 1973, the WTA has been responsible for promoting and developing women’s tennis, elevating the sport to new heights of popularity and professionalism.
The organization sanctions and operates a number of tournaments each year, including the 4 Grand Slam tournaments, and sets the standards for player and tournament eligibility. With a rich history of legendary players and iconic moments, the WTA continues to inspire and captivate tennis fans around the world.
The WTA tournaments are divided into five different categories based on the prize money, ranking points, and the level of competitiveness. Here are the different tournament categories in women’s tennis:
Grand Slam Tournaments – There are four Grand Slam tournaments: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. These tournaments are the most prestigious in women’s tennis and offer the highest prize money and ranking points.
WTA 1000 Tournaments – Formerly known as Premier Mandatory and Premier 5 tournaments, WTA 1000 tournaments are the second-highest tier of events on the women’s tour. There are currently four WTA 1000 tournaments: Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, and Beijing.
WTA 500 Tournaments – Formerly known as Premier tournaments, WTA 500 tournaments offer slightly lower prize money and ranking points than the WTA 1000 events. There are currently six WTA 500 tournaments: Dubai, Doha, St. Petersburg, Berlin, Eastbourne, and San Jose.
WTA 250 Tournaments – These tournaments are the lowest-tiered events on the WTA tour, with the lowest prize money and ranking points. However, they still provide important opportunities for players to earn points and improve their rankings. There are currently 31 WTA 250 tournaments held around the world.
WTA Finals – The WTA Finals is the season-ending championship tournament for the top eight singles players and doubles teams on the WTA tour. It is held annually in late October or early November, and offers a significant prize money and ranking points.
| TOURNAMENT | CAT. | LOCATION | START | END | WINNER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Cup | WTA 500 | Australia | 29/12/22 | 08/01/23 | U.S.A |
| Adelaide International 1 | WTA 500 | Adelaide, Australia | 01/01/23 | 08/01/23 | Aryna Sabalenka |
| ASB Classic | WTA 250 | Auckland, New Zealand | 02/01/23 | 08/01/23 | Coco Gauff |
| Hobart International | WTA 250 | Hobart, Australia | 09/01/23 | 14/01/23 | Lauren Davis |
| Adelaide International 2 | WTA 500 | Adelaide, Australia | 09/01/23 | 14/01/23 | Belinda Bencic |
| Australian Open | Grand Slam | Melbourne, Australia | 16/01/23 | 29/01/23 | Aryna Sabalenka |
| Thailand Open | WTA 250 | Hua Hin, Thailand | 30/01/23 | 05/02/23 | Zhu Lin |
| Open 6e Sens Métropole Lyon | WTA 250 | Lyon, France | 30/01/23 | 05/02/23 | Alycia Parks |
| Upper Austria Ladies Linz | WTA 250 | Linz, Austria | 06/02/23 | 12/02/23 | Anastasia Potapova |
| Qatar TotalEnergies Open | WTA 500 | Doha, Qatar | 13/02/23 | 18/02/23 | Iga Świątek |
| Dubai Duty Free Tennis | Masters 1000 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | 19/02/23 | 25/02/23 | Barbora Krejčíková |
| Merida Open Akron | WTA 250 | Mérida, Mexico | 20/02/23 | 26/02/23 | Camila Giorgi |
| ATX Open | WTA 250 | Austin, United States | 27/02/23 | 05/03/23 | Marta Kostyuk |
| Abierto GNP Seguros | WTA 250 | Monterrey, Mexico | 27/02/23 | 05/03/23 | Leylah Fernandez |
| BNP Paribas Open | Masters 1000 | Indian Wells, United States | 08/03/23 | 19/03/23 | Elena Rybakina |
| Miami Open presented by Itaú | Masters 1000 | Miami, United States | 21/03/23 | 02/04/23 | Iga Świątek |
| Credit One Charleston Open | WTA 500 | Charleston, United States | 03/04/23 | 09/04/23 | Ons Jabeur |
| Copa Colsanitas Zurich | WTA 250 | Bogota, Colombia | 03/04/23 | 09/04/23 | Tatjana Maria |
| Porsche Tennis Grand Prix | WTA 500 | Stuttgart, Germany | 17/04/23 | 23/04/23 | Iga Świątek |
| TEB BNP Paribas Tennis Championship Istanbul | WTA 250 | Istanbul, Turkey | 17/04/23 | 23/04/23 | Anastasia Potapova |
| Mutua Madrid Open | Masters 1000 | Madrid, Spain | 25/04/23 | 06/05/23 | Aryna Sabalenka |
| L'Open 35 de Saint Malo | WTA 125 | 01/05/23 | 01/05/23 | 07/05/23 | Sloane Stephens |
| Internazionali BNL d'Italia | Masters 1000 | Rome, Italy | 08/05/23 | 21/05/23 | TBD |
| Trophée Clarins | WTA 125 | Paris, France | 15/05/23 | 21/05/23 | TBD |
| Internationaux de Strasbourg | WTA 250 | Strasbourg, France | 21/05/23 | 27/05/23 | TBD |
