Charlotte to host WTA Finals from 2027

Charlotte, North Carolina has been selected as the new host city for the season‑ending WTA Finals beginning in 2027, the Women’s Tennis Association announced. The WTA said it aims to turn the championship into the “Super Bowl of women’s sports” and hopes a three‑year agreement will bring greater stability to an event that has seen six different venues in the past seven years. A previously planned ten‑year arrangement in Shenzhen collapsed after just one season, after which Guadalajara, Fort Worth, Cancun and Riyadh each took turns hosting the finals. Attendance has frequently been disappointing at those sites. “The WTA has ever owned the WTA Finals, but present we are going to run it, too,” said WTA chair Valerie Camillo. “We are not going to bash everything ourselves, but we are taking power of this event, of the instauration of the revenue and the controlling of the expenses. And that allows america to power our own destiny.” The 2025 edition will be held at Indian Wells, California before the tour shifts to Charlotte in 2027. Prize money for this year’s finals has not yet been announced, but the purse is set at $10 million (£7.4 million) – $5.5 million (£4.1 million) less than the amount guaranteed by Saudi Arabia for the 2024 event. “2026 is simply a year of transition for the WTA,” Camillo said. “We are doing the usual belt‑tightening you would expect of any business division, also absorbing the unexpected cost of relocating the WTA Finals to Indian Wells.” “What is most important to know is that we have a clear path to deliver consistent, sustainable financial performance in 2027 and beyond, supported by strong revenue and crowd growth.” Riyadh had been slated to host the finals for a third consecutive year in November, but the contract was terminated one year early. The WTA cited both the geopolitical strain between the United States and Iran and a declining commitment from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund has also halted financing for LIV Golf, and the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters was cancelled earlier this year. The finals, featuring the top eight singles players and doubles teams of the season, will be staged at the Spectrum Centre, home of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. Because the Hornets’ schedule fills early November with home games, the WTA will condense the championship from eight days to five, a change that could affect revenue. Camillo noted that the WTA has begun discussions with players about alternative formats, but if the round‑robin structure remains, finalists would be required to play each day. As part of the host‑city agreement, the WTA will also relocate its global headquarters from St Petersburg, Florida to Charlotte.