The WTA Tour’s year-end championships, the WTA Finals, are among the most prestigious tournaments in women’s tennis. Played at the end of the season every year, it is contested between the top eight women in the world in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys shared their thoughts on the rumoured new venue and how it could impact the sport in the coming years, as the three-year deal is set to expire this year.
Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys on WTA Finals’ New Venue
The WTA Finals is the biggest and most rewarding event on the women’s side, offering the most ranking points and prize money after the four Grand Slams. The event started in 1972 in Boca Raton, Florida, and stayed in America before moving to Germany in 2001. Madrid, Doha, Istanbul, and Singapore were the host cities till 2018, when the WTA finally announced a decade-long deal with Shenzhen, China.
However, due to COVID-19, the management cancelled the deal and started looking for a new location in 2020. After the event was cancelled that year, Guadalajara, Fort Worth, and Cancún held the following year-end championships until 2023, before the WTA signed a three-year deal with Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, making Riyadh the host until 2026.
Now that the deal is set to expire this year, the WTA has begun looking for a new location where players can enjoy the same level of fan support. World No. 5 Pegula revealed the situation surrounding the new venue, saying,
“I obviously kind of knew the three years is going to be up … I’ve been a little informed, but not too much because I don’t think they have any idea where it’s going to be yet.”
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As the Chair of the WTA’s Tour Architecture Council, which aims to improve the jam-packed WTA calendar and tour structure, the American might have some insider insights, but, as she stated herself, even the management doesn’t have a final location.
However, following recent rumours, it is reported that Charlotte is the potential new host of the year-end championships starting in 2027. Another top-ranked American, Keys, shared her thoughts on this North Carolina venue, saying,
“I think it would be a great city to host just because you already have so many fans built in, and I think the city would just be so excited to be able to come out and support WTA.”
The 2025 Australian Open champion was fully supportive of bringing the WTA Finals back to America, particularly for Charlotte. The natural tennis support these cities offer is massive and would create a great environment for players to compete.
Interestingly, when Saudi Arabia was announced as the host for a three-year deal, many top players opposed this decision due to the country’s ongoing human rights and women’s policies. If the WTA finally decides to bring it back to the States, players, analysts, retired pros, and fans will all benefit, boosting the event’s popularity.
