From a bumping Family Weekend to some 90,000-plus fans rushing the gates of the Credit One Stadium, it has been an unforgettable experience for the organizers of the Charleston over the last nine days. This tournament has a long history of breaking new ground in tennis. Be it being the first women’s tennis event to offer $100,000 in prize money in 1973, to being the first to be broadcast live on network television, the Charleston Open has always set an example for others. Recently, they even announced that their purse for the 2026 edition will be increased to match the other ATP 500 events, which typically offer more than $2 million in prize money. And guess who made the announcement? Well, it was Emma Navarro’s father, Ben Navarro – the owner of the event. How did the tennis world react to seeing Emma Navarro’s father taking this bold step to revolutionize women’s tennis?
Just a few days ago, Ben Navarro, the Charleston Open tournament owner, came up with a statement saying, “We believe in fostering an environment where all athletes are recognized and rewarded for their talent and dedication. Providing equal prize money in 2026 is a significant step toward creating a more inclusive, equitable future for tennis. We’re proud to take this action as part of our ongoing commitment to support fairness in sports and lead by example for the next generation.” The WTA previously stated in 2023 that its goal was to deliver equal prize money for players in single-week WTA 1000 and WTA 500 events by 2033.
But with this historic move, it has now become the first WTA 500 tournament to equalize prize money for men and women before the 2033 deadline. How much will the prize money increase? The 2025 Charleston Open prize money was $1.06 and according to the recent announcement by Ben, it will now jump up to $1.15 million in 2026.
Highlighting this massive step and elaborating on his overall experience at this tournament, the former American player Sam Querrey shared his thoughts on the recent episode of the podcast Nothing Major. He said, “We were there on Sunday of qualifying, walking around the grounds, you would have thought it was a final. It was packed with people, the grounds are immaculate, the field is incredible, and the players’ area, you know like where they eat and stuff, is awesome.”
Querrey made a tongue-in-cheek remark as well, saying that he has always been a bit jealous that men’s players never get the chance to play in Charleston. Further heaping praise on Ben Navarro and Bob Moran, who have worked at the Charleston tournament since 1999, the ex-pro said, “Bob Moran and Ben Navarro like crushing it for tennis, especially on the women’s tennis side, and I think I saw two starting next year, they’re going to be like kind of at the same level as men’s 500, and they didn’t need to do it I think, until 2032. So they’re just like right away next year making a massive impact on the women’s game, and good for them.“
Ben Navarro just announced on Tennis Channel that the Charleston Open will be paying equal prize money to that of the men’s ATP 500 events starting in 2026.
He says the prize money will be doubled from what it currently is.
“We are going to go, starting next year, with equal… pic.twitter.com/BwOwSsXzTe
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) April 6, 2025
Interesting Fact: The inaugural Charleston champion, Rosie Canals, received a check for $30,000, which was the largest prize money payout awarded to a woman that year.
Owing to all these incredible milestones, the Charleston Open was recently named the WTA 500 Tournament of the Year for the third consecutive time. Even the 2025 champion Jessica Pegula lauded Ben Navarro recently, while sharing her experience of playing i the tournament.
Jessica Pegula highlights Emma Navarro’s contribution in inspiring her dad to take this bold step
Shortly after winning her SF match against Ekaterina Alexandrova at the Charleston Open, Jessica Pegula showered praise on the arrangements made for the competition, which is owned by Emma Navarro’s father. She said, “I think the fans and just the hospitality of everything makes it feel kind of like you’re just playing at home, which I really like.“
Later, after securing her first title in this tournament by defeating her compatriot Sofia Kenin in the final by a 6-3,7-5 margin, Pegula was asked about her thoughts on Navarro’s announcement to award equal prize money to men and women from 2026. In reply to that, she jokingly said, “I was like, not this year? Not the year I won it? Come on. No, I’m just kidding.” However, she praised Ben Navarro again and highlighted her peer Emma Navarro’s massive role in this decision.
“I think that’s amazing. I mean, what Ben Navarro and the Navarro family have done for tennis in the U.S. and women’s tennis, especially with doing that is really incredible, and I think he’s been inspired by seeing how well Emma has done and how much women’s tennis can really, really grow and her being a superstar in her own right,” Pegula said.
Although Navarro has struggled to find success in the Charleston Open, she has already won a title this season – that is the Merida Open Akron. Considering Emma’s rapid rise in women’s tennis, Pegula feels that “Her (Emma’s) story has probably really inspired him (Ben) to grow the sport.”
Pegula’s now quite hopeful that Ben Navarro’s massive step to uplift women’s tennis will encourage other tournaments to follow in the billionaire’s footsteps. What are your thoughts on this?
The post “I’m Even Jealous”- Emma Navarro’s Billionaire Father Earns Bold Acclaim Behind Charleston’s Headline Shift appeared first on EssentiallySports.
