The International Tennis HOF will pay equal prize money to the men’s and women’s draws of its new ATP Challenger/WTA 125 tournament this month through a sponsorship agreement with The MARGARET Fund, a more-than-three-decade-old Title IX advocacy organization created by ITHF Executive Board Member and former Women’s Sports Foundation CEO Deborah Larkin.
With The MARGARET Fund’s support, the Hall of Fame Open will offer $200,000 in total prize money to both its ATP and WTA draws, representing a 60% increase on the women’s side and making the tournament’s total purse the highest among 125 events on both tours. The deal, which was negotiated without agency involvement, will designate The MARGARET Fund a supporting sponsor of the tournament and see its branding attached to the Hall of Fame Open’s logo in promotional materials. While the financial terms of The MARGARET Fund’s investment were not disclosed, ITHF CEO Dan Faber told SBJ their contribution is at the level of a title sponsor.
“It’s a great story, that a [ITHF] board member is using their financial means and their passion to help us excite and engage others out there to support the mission of the organization,” Faber said. “And more importantly, to help the Hall of Fame make a statement.”
Larkin added that the deal “was born out of passion for women’s leadership and gender equity.”
“It’s very important that the tournament gets sponsored and shows the public and the players and the WTA and the ATP that this tournament has strong support,” she said. “We’re a worldwide organization and we need to show the world that we want equality for all people, and in this case we’re able to show that it extends to equal pay.”
Larkin and The MARGARET Fund have pledged to invest across the ITHF’s business -- including initiatives like its ”Be Legendary" youth engagement program -- for the next four years, but Faber added the ITHF will continue to seek a corporate supporting sponsor to address level prize money at the Hall of Fame Open (with The MARGARET Fund retaining right of first refusal on the tournament sponsorship).
The ATP and WTA set the prize pools for each of their events, so Faber said the ITHF secured necessary approvals before bringing on a partner to help elevate the women’s side.
The 2025 Hall of Fame Open is set to run July 6-13 on the ITHF’s grounds in Newport, R.I.
