Queen's women's prize money to increase by 35%

There will be a 35% increase in prize money for the women's tournament at Queen's Club in June.

The total prize pot will rise by half a million dollars to $1.915m (£1.43m).

The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has promised to deliver equal prize money at the women's and men's events - which take place in consecutive weeks in the middle of June - by 2029 at the latest.

The prize fund at the men's Queen's event this year will be 2.583m euros (£2.238m), meaning there is still a substantial gap to be closed over the next three years.

But the prize money on offer for the women's tournament is significantly above the $1.206m (£901,000) minimum required for a WTA 500 event.

The LTA says it will be the second-highest prize money of the season at a tournament of this level.

Minimum prize money levels are set by the ATP and WTA Tours themselves, and there have long been vast differences between what comparable, standalone men's and women's tournaments can attract.

The WTA says major combined events should have equal prize money by 2027. Standalone events - which the Queen's week technically is - have until 2033.

The women's event in Charleston, which was played on green clay at the beginning of April, offered total compensation of $2.5m. This matched the minimum sum required at an ATP 500 event.

Charleston's tournament is owned by American billionaire Ben Navarro - the father of 2024 US Open semi-finalist Emma.

The LTA says over 90% of tickets have so far been sold for the women's event at Queen's, which begins on 8 June.

Tatjana Maria won the title last year as Queen's hosted a women's tour event for the first time since 1973.

Meanwhile, prize money for women at the WTA 250 event in Eastbourne in the week before Wimbledon will rise by 28% to $499,000 (£373,000).