WTA Finals to be held in Saudi Arabia from 2024 to 2026 with record US$15.25 million in prize money
- Desert kingdom to increase prize fund in 2025 and 2026, as officials welcome ‘defining moment’ for game
- Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in sports such as football, Formula One and golf in the past few years
The season-ending WTA Finals will be held in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh from 2024-2026, the women’s tennis body said on Thursday, ending months of speculation and marking the Gulf country’s latest foray into the sport.
Riyadh will host the season finale, which features the top eight singles players and doubles teams, from November 2 to 9 and replaces last year’s hosts Cancun, Mexico.
The WTA said its agreement with the Saudi Tennis Federation will offer record prize money of US$15.25 million this year with further increases in 2025 and 2026.
“To have a women’s tournament of this magnitude and profile is a defining moment for tennis in Saudi Arabia. The WTA Finals has the power to inspire far beyond the sport, especially for our young girls and women,” Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal Al-Saud, the Saudi sports minister, said.
Talk that the event could be shifted to the Middle East had intensified after the men’s ATP Tour said last August its Next Gen Finals would be held in Jeddah from 2023 to 2027.
“The WTA selected Riyadh following a comprehensive evaluation process over several months, which has included assessment of multiple bids from different regions and engagement with players,” it said in a statement.
