In a historic move, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is all set to host the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals for three years, starting from 2024 until 2026.
“To have a women’s tournament of this magnitude and profile is a defining moment for tennis in Saudi Arabia,” the Saudi sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki wrote on X.
“The WTA Finals has the power to inspire far beyond the sport, especially for our young girls & women. We can’t wait to welcome the players to Riyadh in November!”
This hosting expresses Vision 2030, which aims to hold the most important world championships in all games and host them in Saudi cities.
The top eight singles players and doubles teams of the year will compete in the highest-profile tennis tournament in the country.
This year’s finals will take place from November 2 to 9 in Riyadh. The agreement with the Saudi Tennis Federation will offer record prize money of 15.25 million dollars at the WTA Finals in 2024 with further increases in 2025 and 2026.
“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.
Riyadh has been chosen as the host for the WTA Finals, a decision that builds on the WTA’s 20-year presence in the Middle East.
The partnership is a response to Saudi Arabia’s significant growth in sports, with participation levels nearly tripling since 2015 to almost 50 per cent.
The number of sporting federations has tripled in recent years, with the Saudi Tennis Federation being a prime example of this growth.
This highly anticipated deal comes just weeks after the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced that it had reached a “strategic partnership” with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
