WTA Finals to be hosted in Saudi Arabia for next three years

The WTA Finals will be played in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the next three years, the WTA confirmed on Thursday.

The news had been widely expected and ends a period of uncertainty in the women’s game. Last year’s Finals were played in Cancun, Mexico, a last-minute decision which led to widespread criticism from the players at the general conditions.

The 2024 WTA Finals – for the top eight players in the calendar year – will be played from November 2-9, with both singles and doubles taking place the same week. It will offer record prize money of $15.25 million, with guaranteed increases in 2025 and 2026.

“Bringing the WTA Finals to Riyadh is an exciting new opportunity for us and a positive step for the long-term growth of women’s tennis as a global and inclusive sport,” Steve Simon, WTA Chairman and CEO, said in a statement.

“We’ve been impressed by the commitment shown by the Saudi Tennis Federation to grow the sport at all levels and we have no doubt that players and fans can look forward to a world-class event in Riyadh as the finale to the 2024, 2025 and 2026 seasons.”

Controversial choice

The selection of Saudi Arabia is a controversial one. The country has been widely criticised for its poor human rights record, while women’s rights are heavily restricted in the country and being LGBTQ is criminalised.

Former champions Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova wrote an open letter earlier this year, saying: “we believe allowing Saudi Arabia to host the WTA finals is entirely incompatible with the spirit and purpose of women’s tennis, and the WTA itself”.

The WTA said Riyadh was chosen “following a comprehensive evaluation process over several months, which has included assessment of multiple bids from different regions and engagement with players”. It said the choice was set against a “clear set of criteria”, including: “The ability to deliver and fund a world-class event for players and fans”, “support for the WTA’s ambition for significant prize money growth and the “strength of their commitment to growing the WTA Finals and the sport over time”.

The WTA also said it would be working with the Saudi Tennis Federation “to develop multi-year initiatives to help drive continued progress and in particular to apply the WTA’s expertise and capabilities to engage and inspire more girls and boys to participate in tennis.”

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