The women’s tennis excursion will reportedly move the WTA final to Charlotte as part of a multi-year deal. The season-ending championships have not found a long-term host city since the breakdown of the deal with China. There are growing rumours that the WTA will hold the final in Saudi Arabia, which has sparked backlash, with Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert saying it would be a “step backwards”.
The WTA Finals has been finding temporary host venues for the last few years, despite signing a 10-year deal to stage the event in Shenzhen from 2019. The Covid pandemic and the disappearance of Peng Shuai led to a breakdown of the agreement, and the tournament has since been staged in Guadalajara, Fort Worth and Cancun.
The resolution to hold the 2023 edition of the tour in Cancun was announced less than two months in advance, following reports that the final would be held in Saudi Arabia. The women’s tennis excursion is still expected to move to Riyadh, but now exploring new roles later on, adding a return to the United States.
According to the Charlotte Business Journal, the WTA is contemplating moving the excursion to Charlotte for “several years starting in 2027. “Reportedly, the field trip has Charlotte’s Spectrum Center as a possible venue for this year’s finals and they have yet to “select a venue. “for the 2024 WTA final. “
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When the WTA lands in a city for this year’s final, she is expected to sign a 3-year contract from 2024 to 2026. That’s why Charlotte will be a very likely option from 2027. The Spectrum Center will be hornier in 3 years. ‘ time, as they are set to undergo £170 million ($215 million) worth of renovations by 2025.
That still leaves uncertainty over where the year-end championships will be held in 2024, as the tour faces difficulties over its ability to reach Saudi Arabia. In a joint opinion piece published in the Washington Post, Evert and Navratilova stated that the proposal was “totally inconsistent with the spirit and purpose of women’s tennis and the WTA itself. “
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They added: “The WTA should revisit the values upon which it was established. We believe that those values cannot even be expressed, much less achieved, in Saudi Arabia. Taking a tournament there would represent a significant step backward, to the detriment not just of women’s sport, but women. We hope this changes someday, hopefully within the next five years. If so, we would endorse engagement there.”
It remains to be seen where the prestigious tournament will rank in the top eight in 2024, but the WTA may have to locate more venues at the last minute if it manages to sign a deal with Charlotte starting in 2027.