When the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) was founded, it had a groundbreaking goal: to eliminate barriers and promote equity in the sport. Fifty years later, the WTA has made remarkable strides, both in increasing access for more diverse players and in achieving equality for women playing tennis. This includes the approval of a pathway to equal prize money by 2027 at the WTA’s biggest tournaments.
Progress like that takes determination and vision—the same values that Morgan Stanley embodies. It’s also what drives our partnership with the WTA. Together, we are helping provide opportunities for a new generation through empowerment programs for players and communities.
A Commitment to Providing Opportunities for All
One way we do this is by supporting the WTA Foundation’s Come Play initiative, which hosts events and tennis clinics around the world in support of underrepresented communities. The initiative provides tennis instruction and access to participants of all ages and abilities, encouraging them to lead healthy and productive lives both on and off the court.
Morgan Stanley and the WTA have hosted Come Play tennis clinics in Charleston, New York, San Diego, London and Australia that have offered opportunities to more than 3,000 individuals from underrepresented communities across the globe. In addition to clinics, we provide a donation to the charity associated with each event in an effort to make a lasting impact in communities and organizations worldwide.
Morgan Stanley brand ambassador and three-time WTA champion Leylah Fernandez has collaborated with Morgan Stanley and the WTA to help lead these clinics, offering high-quality tennis instruction to those who may not have otherwise been exposed to the sport. Says Fernandez, “I look forward to continuing to partner with the Morgan Stanley team in expanding access to the game of tennis, especially among underrepresented communities and diverse youth.”
“Ensuring that there’s representation, that there’s opportunity, that there’s access is really important,” says Alice Milligan, Morgan Stanley’s Chief Marketing Officer. “We want to help young people tap into a future they didn’t know they could have.”
Helping Players Succeed Off the Court
Morgan Stanley and the WTA are also working to ensure that players have the tools they need for financial success. Together, we have rolled out the What Moves You program to help U.S-based WTA players maximize their potential today while planning for the future. The program provides players with resources to manage their finances at every stage of their careers, empowering them to pursue their ambitions beyond tennis.
Notes Fernandez, “We’re focused on tennis our whole lives. That’s the only thing we know. But it's not something we can always depend on.” Indeed, with professional women tennis players ever closer to achieving pay equity, having the financial confidence to pursue their ambitions is critical—and a key way that Morgan Stanley is promoting empowerment for women through our partnership with the WTA.
