The WTA Tour Architecture Council is poised to vote soon on reducing the number of mandatory WTA 500 tournaments for top women’s tennis players, according to Bob Moran, a council member and president of Beemok Sports and Entertainment. Currently, elite players must compete in six 500-level events annually, along with four Grand Slams and seven 1000-level tournaments, totaling a minimum of 17 required events under WTA rules. Moran indicated that the required 500 tournaments will likely drop to four or five starting next year, which would ease the schedule burden on top players.

This development stems from years of players expressing frustration over the crowded tennis calendar. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka criticized the schedule as “insane,” and top athletes like Sabalenka and Iga Świątek have recently withdrawn from significant tournaments, such as the Dubai Open. The Tour Architecture Council, created in February 2026 by WTA Chair Valerie Camillo and chaired by Jessica Pegula, was formed specifically to tackle scheduling and competitive balance issues. It includes prominent players like Maria Sakkari and Victoria Azarenka alongside WTA executives.

Moran noted that while the 1000-level event requirements will remain unchanged, cutting back on mandatory 500-level events represents a major shift following extensive discussions among council members. However, this change may come with compromises tied to prize money growth. The WTA aims to achieve prize money parity with the men’s tour at combined 1000 and 500 tournaments by 2027, but Moran suggested that fewer required 500 events could slow progress towards financial equality because event fields might weaken without mandatory participation.

The WTA declined to comment on the impending vote, but a source confirmed that plans to reach equal prize money goals remain intact. Notably, the Charleston Open recently became the first WTA 500 event to offer equal prize money with the men’s event, granting a $2.3 million purse. Beemok’s Moran emphasized that prize money decisions are influenced by business considerations, not just optics, underscoring the complexity of balancing scheduling reforms with financial incentives for players and tournaments alike.