Saudi Arabia will host the women’s tennis WTA Finals for the next three years

By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer

Saudi Arabia will host the WTA Finals as part of a three-year deal with the women’s professional tennis tour that will increase the prize money for this November’s season-ending championship to a record $15.25 million. That is a 70% increase from 2023. The event for the top eight singles players and top eight doubles teams will be held in Riyadh from 2024-26 under the agreement announced Thursday. It is part of a recent wave of investment by the kingdom in tennis and various sports, despite questions about LGBTQ+ and women’s rights there raised by Hall of Famers Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova and others. WTA Tour Chairman and CEO Steve Simon told the AP he thinks everyone who qualifies for the Finals will want to play.