By Shrivathsa Sridhar
LONDON, July 1 (Reuters) - The WTA Finals will be held in Indian Wells in California instead of Riyadh this year after the women's tennis governing body requested that its prestigious season-ending championship be relocated before the end of its three-year hosting agreement with Saudi Arabia.
The WTA said in a joint statement with the Saudi Tennis Federation on Wednesday the two organisations discussed the proposal and mutually agreed to end the deal announced in April 2024 after
only two years.
Indian Wells, which also hosts a combined ATP and WTA 1000 tournament every March, will now step in to host the WTA Finals featuring the top eight women's singles players and doubles teams from November 8-15.
"The Indian Wells Tennis Garden provides an exceptional stage for the WTA Finals," WTA chair Valerie Camillo said.
"From its world class facilities and passionate fan base to its proven ability to deliver premier tennis events, the venue offers everything needed to showcase the very best of women's tennis."
TALKING TO POTENTIAL PARTNERS
The WTA told Reuters this year that it was talking to potential partners around the globe to host the season finale from 2027 onwards, and there was no indication that the event would not be held in Riyadh this year.
Riyadh had secured a three-year deal to host the tournament replacing Cancun, and the agreement brought with it a record $15 million prize pot.
Last year's champion Elena Rybakina pocketed a record $5.235 million for going unbeaten in the event, which culminated in her beating Aryna Sabalenka in the title clash.
But the Saudi agreement also received criticism from human rights advocates, with the country, which has invested heavily in soccer, golf and Formula One, being accused of using its Public Investment Fund to "sportswash" its human rights record.
The kingdom denies accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security through its laws.
There had also been pushback from tennis greats Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, who said that the WTA's values were in contrast to those of Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Tennis Federation said together with the WTA it reached more than 30,000 people through community programs, including workshops for women coaches, training for physical education teachers as well as tennis clinics for breast cancer survivors.
SAUDIS SAY INCREASED VISIBILITY FOR WOMEN'S TENNIS
"The partnership increased the visibility of women's tennis across the kingdom and globally, with the event delivering 20% year-on-year growth in attendance including sellout crowds across the final days," the federation said.
The decision to mutually end the agreement comes after the PIF, which has spent more than $5 billion on LIV Golf since its 2022 launch, saying in April that investing in the league no longer fit its investment strategy.
While Indian Wells will host this year's event, the search for a long-term home is expected to go on.
Shenzhen hosted the 2019 edition as part of a lucrative 10-year deal but the event was cancelled the following year due to COVID-19 and moved to Guadalajara in Mexico in 2021.
The tournament had been expected to return to Shenzhen from 2022 but the WTA suspended tournaments in China due to concerns over the treatment of former doubles world number one Peng Shuai.
Fort Worth, in Texas, hosted the tournament that year and drew sparse crowds. Cancun was named the venue for the 2023 event less than two months before it began and drew criticism from some players over the standard of organisation.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in London; Editing by Alison Williams)
