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- WTA signed a three-year deal for the WTA Finals to be held in Riyadh
- Saudi Arabia no longer to stage Next Gen ATP Finals
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) is keen to extend its hosting rights deal for the season-ending WTA Finals with Saudi Arabia.
The WTA Finals was first held in Saudi Arabia as part of an initial three-year deal. The recently concluded 2025 edition was won by Elena Rybakina, who earned US$5.24 million, the biggest payout in women’s sports.
WTA chief executive Portia Archer said that growing interest in women’s tennis from Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, the host’s financial commitment to the event, the facilities and the WTA’s apparent impact on local grassroots tennis were the reasons she wants to keep the tournament in the Arab kingdom.
“We signed on for a three-year term, we’d actually enjoy being here for even longer than we have been, or than we are agreed to be here,” Archer told The Athletic.
“I have experience throughout sports and have attended very high-level sporting events throughout my career, and this is definitely an elite, high-level, professional tennis event and professional sporting event, and we’ve been able to up our game a little bit more this year, even over last year.
“I can see the difference in the fans who are coming. They’re better educated, they’re more familiar with tennis.
“I’m excited and I’m happy we’re here. I think it was a good decision.”
Archer last year said in a press conference that the WTA’s values did not have to align with its tournament hosts. After being asked to elaborate on that point, she clarified that she had misspoke and that she intended to say that we respect the values [in Saudi Arabia], even if they differ from other countries that we find ourselves in and compete in”.
The WTA Finals’ move to Saudi Arabia sparked controversy, and came after women’s tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova wrote an op-ed sharing their concerns. The country’s ambassador to the US, Princess Reema Bint Bandar Al Saud then issued a lengthy response to the pair.
Saudi Arabia’s ties to tennis have grown considerably, with the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) a sponsor of both the WTA and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tours. Last month, the Arab nation won the rights to hold a new ATP Masters 100 tournament, with its SURJ Sport Investment firm becoming the event’s license holder.
However, Saudi Arabia will no longer host the Next Gen ATP Finals, with The Athletic reporting the Saudi Tennis Federation (STF) opted to use an opt-out clause to cut short its deal by two years.
The Next Gen ATP Finals, which features the season’s top under-21 ranked players, was awarded to Jeddah as part of a five-year deal and was the first major tennis competition held in the country.
The ATP has now launched a global bid process to secure a replacement host starting from 2026, with Deloitte’s Sports Business Group assisting the organisation. Final bids are to be submitted by 22nd January 2026, with a final location to be announced early next year.
“The Next Gen ATP Finals is where the future of tennis takes shape,” said Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP chairman. “Our thanks go to the Saudi Tennis Federation and all event partners for their vision in creating something truly exceptional.
“As we look ahead to 2026, we’re excited to invite potential host cities to share in that vision as we build on the event’s continued growth and success.”
SportsPro says…
Having seen the WTA Finals move around considerably, the Saudi hosting rights deal provided much more stability for the event. The WTA has financially benefited from the deal, which has helped the organisation offer an unprecedented amount of prize money for tennis’ top players.
However, the move to Saudi Arabia hasn’t been welcomed universally, with the country criticised for its human rights record and for its restrictions on women. In addition, the event was not well attended in its first year in Riyadh, with just 400 spectators attending the second day of the competition in a venue that holds 5,000 people. The WTA later claimed the total attendance for last year’s edition was two thirds of capacity.
While the WTA may be happy to remain in Saudi Arabia, the country’s decision to cut its deal to stage the Next Gen ATP Finals indicates it will not be afraid to alter its approach to the sport. It is a reminder to tennis’ governing bodies that Saudi Arabia may not be the guaranteed answer to boost their finances.
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