In 1986, the tournament became known as the Stead Open with the involvement of Stead Motors as the major sponsor and the prize money increased from $2,000 to $10,000. This resulted in the tournament earning its way to being considered a very prestigious tennis event. In addition to the increase in prize money, the tournament joined the ranks of open section status which allowed the tournament to draw from a much larger geographic area.
Since 1986, there have been several increases in prize money from $10,000 to the $25,000 currently held as the purse, placing the Moraga Open among the highest prize money open sectional tournaments in the nation . As the prize money has increased, so has both the quantity and quality of players.
The Moraga Open has received very favorable press over the years. In 1990, Inside Tennis voted the Moraga Open the tournament of the 80’s. In 1993, the Moraga Open was recognized as one of the most prestigious Open tournaments in the nation and was featured as such in Tennis Magazine., This magazine has the largest circulation of any tennis magazine. The Moraga Open has received consistent press in Inside Tennis as well as local coverage in the Contra Costa Times and most recently on KGO Radio.